761 or 195 Missing, 80 Prisoners: Discrepancies Between State Department, Government, and Unofficial Numbers

The newspaper "Zhoghovurd" reports that the report published by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. Department of State has addressed the issue of missing citizens, both from the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides. "The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has developed data on missing persons due to the conflict with Azerbaijan and has worked with the government to compile a comprehensive list of missing persons. According to the ICRC, from the 1990s onwards, approximately 4,931 individuals, both Armenian and Azerbaijani, have been categorized as missing, with 761 of these being Armenians. The government states that as of the end of the year, there are 195 individuals considered missing following the military actions in March 2020 (including 20 civilians) and additionally, 2 servicemen are reported missing after the military actions in September 2022. Following the September 19 attack, 42 Armenians (including 12 civilians) are also reported missing.

It is also noted that unofficial sources mention 80 unconfirmed Armenian prisoners. Throughout 2024, the Prime Minister of Armenia has held two press conferences but has been unable to clearly define which discussions have taken place regarding the return of prisoners. He simply stated, "Discussions have occurred, but I cannot say with whom and what we discussed."