Two mass graves have recently been uncovered in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, believed to hold the remains of civilians who went missing during the First Karabakh War over 25 years ago. One grave was found near the city of Shusha, and the other along the Askeran-Khojaly road.
Standing at the site, Zeynab Farajzada of AnewZ reported from Khojaly, a district deeply scarred by the war. “Behind me, is a newly discovered mass grave, believed to date back more than 25 years,” she said, highlighting the grave’s connection to the conflict that ravaged the region.
Experts recently unearthed bone fragments believed to belong to at least seven individuals along the Askeran-Khojaly road. The remains were identified as those of civilians, who were reportedly tortured, bound, and buried. Experts from various state bodies confirmed that the remains belong to civilians who went missing during the First Karabakh War.
Eldar Samadov, Deputy Head of the Working Group of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, spoke about the discovery, revealing that “a total of 3,990 people have been registered as missing as a result of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.” He added, "The mass grave we uncovered today is yet another piece of evidence of Armenia's crimes, and it refutes claims made by the Armenian side that a humanitarian corridor had been established for the civilian population of Khojaly."
The search for missing persons has shed light on the fates of 170 Azerbaijani citizens in recent years, but many remain unaccounted for.
Konul Behbudova, a representative of the Karabakh Missing Families Community, shared her personal loss and the pain of thousands of others. "I lost my brother in the First Karabakh War, and for 33 years, I have had no information about his fate," she said, representing nearly 4,000 families of the missing. Her words echoed the sorrow felt by many, as the search for answers continues.
Amir Aliyev, a member of the International Community of Human Rights, emphasized the importance of bringing those responsible for these atrocities to justice. “The cultural heritage here has been seriously damaged, almost looted,” Aliyev stated, referring to the widespread destruction in the region. "Bringing those responsible for such crimes to justice is a well-established principle in international law."
The mass graves serve as stark reminders of the war’s devastating human toll. The First Karabakh War, fought between Azerbaijan and Armenia from 1988 to 1994, saw the Armenian military occupy Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven surrounding districts, including Khojaly.
In Khojaly, one of the war's most horrific episodes occurred during a two-hour Armenian offensive that led to the massacre of 613 Azerbaijani civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people. The massacre, which also left 487 others seriously injured, is known as the Khojaly Genocide. To date, around 150 of the 1,275 Azerbaijani civilians captured during the genocide remain missing, with entire families wiped out.
The second mass grave, located near Shusha at the intersection of the Shusha-Khankandi and Shusha-Lachin roads, contained at least five sets of remains. The discovery further highlights the ongoing efforts to uncover the war’s hidden human cost and seek justice for the victims of these historical atrocities.
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