Military

Military

State Security Service reveals obstacles to search for missing persons

10 March 2025 10:33 (UTC +04:00)

Obstacles to determining the fate of missing persons have been revealed, said Major General Sherafet Hasanov, Deputy Head of the State Security Service, during the presentation of the "Assessment Report: Accounting for Missing Persons in the Republic of Azerbaijan" by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, APA reports.

"Although certain work has been carried out by the State Commission in a short period of time, the following factors are hindering the determination of the fate of missing persons:

- During the 30 years of occupation, the territories were heavily contaminated with mines and UXOs. As a result, since the end of military operations, 231 incidents of mine explosions have been recorded in these areas, resulting in killing of 70 and injuring of 314 persons to date.

- During the occupation period, as a result of vandalism in the area, the destruction of infrastructure, settlements, and even the landscape and terraibn took place;

- Cemeteries and burial sites, including those of the missing persons, were deliberately destroyed," he said.

The deputy head noted that, due to the aforementioned reasons, even individuals who provide information to the State Commission about burial sites are unable to accurately point out the graves they know when taken to the areas.