BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 30. During the inspection of mass burials, it was discovered that bodies in them were buried without an individual approach, head of the Criminalistics Department of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan Orkhan Rzayev said, Trend reports.
Following the liberation of the Khojaly district from
occupation, mass graves were discovered. During excavations in
Khojaly city, the bones of 21 people were discovered in a mass
burial, followed by the remains of 8 persons in the village of
Malibayli in Khojaly district. To date, nine people's identities
have been established.
Rzayev stated that the articles of the Geneva Conventions of August
12, 1949, "On the Treatment of Prisoners of War," "On the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War," and Additional
Protocol No. 1 to these Conventions, dated June 8, 1977, had been
gravely violated.
"I would like to emphasize that, following the requirements of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949, the parties to the conflict have a duty to bury bodies individually, to confirm the fact of death before burial, to identify the dead, and to prepare a report thereon. Following this Convention, the parties to the conflict must ensure a dignified burial of the dead and, as far as possible, by the requirements of the religion to which they belong, establish identification signs and protect the graves so that they can be found," he said.
Rzayev said that during the inspection of these mass graves, based on the condition of the discovered human remains, it was found that the bodies were buried without any individual approach; they were simply dumped on top of each other.
To note, during excavations on the territory of Khojaly city in the mass burials, the remains of 21 people were found, and later in the village of Malibayli in Khojaly district, the remains of 8 people were found. In total, to date, 9 people have been identified out of 29 people whose remains were found in Khojaly.
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