BAKU — Armenia has not provided information on the remains of missing Azerbaijanis, a serious concern that hinders the healing and reconciliation process, stated Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan. This issue is intertwined with ongoing international legal proceedings against Armenia, seeking compensations for the families of those killed in the First Karabakh War.

According to Trend News Agency, Aliyev expressed a greater national concern for the fate of the missing individuals over the pursuit of financial compensation. He elaborated on the collaborative efforts within Azerbaijan, involving the State Security Service and the State Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing Citizens, which have occasionally led to the recovery and proper burial of missing persons according to local customs. Despite these efforts, the lack of cooperation from the Armenian side regarding the whereabouts of mass graves complicates these efforts. Aliyev noted, however, that there has been significant progress in addressing these issues.

Further compounding the situation, as of August 1, a total of 3,961 people were registered as missing due to Armenia's military actions during the conflict, with nearly all cases linked to the First Karabakh War. By the end of August 2024, Azerbaijani authorities had exhumed the remains of 185 individuals from unmarked graves scattered across 21 cemeteries in 13 cities and districts, affirming the ongoing impact of the conflict on Azerbaijani society. Additionally, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan reports that over twenty thousand Azerbaijanis were killed during these hostilities, underscoring the extensive human cost of the war.