At Least 80 Captives Subjected to Enforced Disappearance, Sahakyan

There are individuals whose abduction Azerbaijan is unwilling to confirm. In such cases, the work becomes doubly complicated; first, we must prove that they are alive and located in Azerbaijan, and only then can we work towards their release. This was stated by human rights advocate Siranuhi Sahakyan, who noted that at least 80 captives have been subjected to enforced disappearance.

"In the context of human rights, there exists the right to truth. Regardless of the undesirable developments that have occurred, the state is obligated to investigate and disclose the truth to the families. Continuous uncertainty makes families victims of another human rights violation—torture. They suffer prolonged mental anguish, which also has legal implications internationally," said Sahakyan.

According to her, we also have a third group—the missing persons. The distinction between the forcibly disappeared and the missing persons, as noted by Sahakyan, lies in the fact that there is evidence that the person was abducted in the case of the former, even if they were alive for a brief period. In the case of missing persons, such evidence is absent. They have found themselves in the adversary's control zone, but we do not know what developments occurred afterward. Responsibility in this case lies with both states.

"In the case of the Republic of Armenia, proper scientific conclusions from DNA tests of found remains are crucial, while in Azerbaijan's case, it is important that they do not obstruct the search efforts," the human rights advocate stated.