BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 30
Trend:
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People and ADA University organized a conference, dedicated to the people who disappeared as a result of the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, in connection with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is marked on August 30, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on Aug. 30.
The heads of the structural divisions of the ministry and the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in the country attended the event.
The blessed memory of the martyrs who died as a result of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan was revered by a minute of silence at the opening ceremony of the conference.
In his opening speech, Vice-Rector of ADA University Fariz Ismayilzade stressed the events organized by the university in connection with the restoration and revival of Karabakh region in the post-conflict period, as well as the return of internally displaced people to their houses.
Ismayilzade stressed the importance of the conference in terms of drawing the attention of the international community to the problem of missing people.
While speaking at the conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov informed that the principles of international humanitarian law were grossly violated within Armenia's aggressive policy.
Mammadov also informed about Armenia's widespread use of the practice of taking hostages and captivity of civilians, as well as the servicemen, its systematic policy of killing captives, as well as the legal aspects of issues in connection with missing people, cooperation in this context with international organizations.
In his speech, Secretary of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People, head of the working group Ismayil Akhundov informed that Armenia committed such crimes against humanity as genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Akhundov also informed about inhuman treatment towards civilians taken hostage within its aggressive policy, as well as the work on collecting information about missing Azerbaijanis, taking the necessary measures to return them to their homeland, the work of the State Commission on effective organizing of coordinated activity of local structures and international organizations.
Then, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva delivered speech. Aliyeva informed the participants of the event about the activity of clarifying information about the people who disappeared as a result of the aggressive policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan, the return of those people to their homeland as part of cooperation with international structures, including humanitarian organizations.
Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Azerbaijan Ariane Bauer also delivered speech at the event. Bauer stressed that the ICRC has worked with relevant state agencies for decades to address the humanitarian consequences of the problem with missing people.
Stressing that the issue of missing people after the military operations in 2020 is in the spotlight, the ICRC representative highlighted the joint work with the State Commission on collecting information on missing people.
The bitter story of the life of Mushfig Aliyev, freed from captivity, whose family disappeared during the occupation of Kalbajar district by the Armenian Armed Forces on March 31, 1993, was heard as part of the panel discussion.
A film prepared by the ICRC was shown after the speeches. A Q&A session was held.