Baku: Thirty-two mass graves have been discovered in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, according to Sharafat Hasanov, Deputy Head of the State Security Service. He shared this information during an international conference titled "Modern Approaches to Resolving the Issue of Missing Persons and Strengthening Cooperation", which was held in collaboration with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Hasanov highlighted that the nearly three-decade-long occupation of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized sovereign territories hindered efforts to ascertain the fate of missing citizens. In the aftermath of the 44-day war in 2020 and subsequent anti-terror measures in 2023, President Ilham Aliyev tasked the State Commission with identifying burial sites of missing citizens in the liberated areas. This initiative involved extensive excavation and exhumation efforts that commenced in February 2021.

By June 30, 2026, human remains believed to belong to 893 missing individuals had been discovered. Hasanov noted that 32 mass graves were identified, containing remains thought to be of 253 individuals. These remains were exhumed with the assistance of investigative authorities.

Forensic molecular genetic examinations have thus far established the identities of 327 individuals who went missing during the First Karabakh War. Information about 226 of these individuals has been publicly released, and their remains have been returned to their families for burial in line with legal, national, and religious customs. Among those identified were 181 military personnel and 45 civilians, including 14 women and 2 minors.