Missing Azeri citizens a of June 2006 total 4,581, while Armenians 414, Trend reports with reference to statement by Workgroup with Azeri State Commission for POWs, hostages and missing. This statement was made in connection to the last speeches of co-chairs of International Workgroup (IWG).
The workgroup states that all missing, both Azerbaijanis and Armenians, disappeared in Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions Armenians occupied in 1990s. 197 out of said 414 are citizens of Armenia, 211 - citizens of Azerbaijan, and 6 citizens of other states. From total number of missing Armenians, 23 people disappeared in Armenia, 2 in Georgia, 389 on Azerbaijans occupied grounds and only 10 outside the combat area. В"Therefore it is obvious that search shall be performed over these areas. However, repeated visits of IWG co-chairs to this region did not bring light to these misses, though co-chairs say all the doors are open for groups that search missing people, the statement says.
Regrding non-humane treatment of POWs, the workgroups states that В"the matters are quite not how they are regarded by Bernhardt ClasenВ". В"Azeri government never persecuted or condemned former Azeri POWs. These are IWG executives insinuations purposed to draw the public attention from their main activity, i.e. search of missing persons. On this matter, we shall bring to the publics attention that 20 out of 1,388 persons released from captivity have been prosecuted for specific crimes stipulated by Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic. None of them was prosecuted for being in captivityВ", - the statement says.