Hikmet Hajiyev: Every family has the right to know the fate of their loved ones

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Administration of the Head of State Hikmet Hajiyev made a publication in connection with August 30 - International Day of the Disappeared.

As reported by BAKU.WS, he wrote about this on his account on the social network X.

"For Azerbaijan, the fate of missing persons remains a matter of deep humanitarian and national significance. As a result of the former Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, 4,010 Azerbaijani citizens are registered as missing.

This issue is constantly at the center of attention and concern of President Ilham Aliyev. In accordance with the tasks set by the head of state, the State Commission continues systematic efforts to search for missing Azerbaijani citizens, to locate them, identify them, and return their remains to families after decades of uncertainty.

Witness testimonies are being verified, alleged burial sites are being investigated, mass graves are being excavated, and discovered remains are being examined through forensic and DNA analysis. To date, 32 mass graves have been discovered, and the identities of 328 missing persons have been established through DNA analysis.

In this regard, Armenia's provision of accurate and comprehensive information about the fate of missing Azerbaijanis, including their burial sites, remains critically important. Such cooperation is primarily a humanitarian obligation and is necessary to put an end to decades of uncertainty faced by thousands of families.

Despite the difficult terrain, weather conditions, and the danger posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, search operations continue using all available resources and advanced technologies.

Every family has the right to know the fate of their loved ones.

Every missing person has a name.

Every family deserves to receive an answer," the publication states.

30 August | International Day of the Disappeared

For Azerbaijan, the fate of missing persons remains a matter of profound humanitarian and national importance. 4,010 Azerbaijani citizens remain registered as missing as a result of the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The… pic.twitter.com/HEZJc2V0ds

— Hikmet Hajiyev (@HikmetHajiyev) August 30, 2026