"303 Individuals Still Considered Missing Due to the 44-Day War" - Human Rights Defender

On the occasion of the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Human Rights Defender stated: "Today is the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, established by a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The enforced disappearances of individuals represent multiple and ongoing violations of human rights. They begin with the permission or complicity of state representatives and officials, followed by the denial or concealment of the whereabouts of the missing person.

Enforced disappearances have a profoundly tragic impact on both the victims, who often endure torture and live in constant fear for their lives, and on their families, who remain unaware of the fate of their relatives and live in unrelenting hope for their return.

Unfortunately, the ongoing conflicts in the modern world have created an environment conducive for the crime of enforced disappearances, and we, unfortunately, know from our own experience and continue to bear the pain and unceasing struggle of the victims and families affected by this crime during and after the 44-day war.

According to the data presented by the International Committee of the Red Cross in August 2022, 303 individuals from Armenia are still considered missing as a result of the 2020 44-day war.

The ongoing behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities in failing to provide information regarding prisoners and missing persons, or distorting that information, is nothing more than utilizing human rights issues for political purposes in violation of international humanitarian law.

Sadly, the mechanisms for international response to cases of enforced disappearances currently demonstrate a lack of effectiveness, which serves as a reason for all stakeholders to work actively in this direction.

Moreover, it should be noted that in order to implement the norms stipulated by international law, states must enshrine these norms in domestic legislation and take all necessary steps for their enforcement. Therefore, in this regard, the office of the Human Rights Defender is prepared to work with the Government of the Republic of Armenia to improve the domestic legislation and institutional framework concerning the rights of missing persons and their relatives.

In taking all necessary measures within the competence of the Defender to locate missing individuals and provide them with support, I unequivocally condemn all cases of enforced disappearances and call for a collective effort to take the necessary measures to effectively guarantee the rights of the forcibly disappeared and their families."