Ombudsman’s Reaction to the Discovery of Human Remains in Gubadli and Zangilan

The next human remains, believed to belong to the persons missing during the First Karabakh War, have been discovered and exhumed in the villages of Malikahmedli of Gubali and Vezhnali of Zangilan districts. The relevant authorities will take appropriate measures to identify the human remains through the necessary procedures. 

The fact of the discovery of graves in the Gubadli and Zangilan districts that were under the occupation for about thirty years indicates the brutality of crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijani prisoners of war, hostages, and missing persons.   

Such issues are overt evidence of Armenia’s serious violations of the norms and principles of international humanitarian law. 

The existence of numerous mass graves in the liberated territories necessitates conducting relevant investigations and taking measures. Although the Armenian side did not provide the coordinates of places of burial, the Azerbaijani side tries to shed light on the fate of those missing persons by discovering those graves through appropriate investigations.   

We, once again, invite the world community to make firm calls to Armenia for disclosing information regarding the eventual fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis who dissappeared during the First Karabakh War in order to meet the current requirements in the field of international law and human rights. 

Sabina Aliyeva

The Commissioner for Human Rights 

of the Republic of Azerbaijan

(Ombudsman) 

13 September 2023