Azeri committee calls for international help in search for captives
Assa-Irada, Baku
18 Dec 04
The state commission on captives, hostages and missing persons held its
first meeting in a new composition at the National Security Ministry
on Saturday 18 December. The commission’s chairman and minister,
Eldar Mahmudov, stated that the commission, in its new format, will
be even more active in conveying to the Azerbaijani and international
community the facts about violation of international norms by Armenia,
which perpetrated ethnic cleansing, massacre and vandalism against
Azerbaijanis and holds them in captivity.
Members of the commission said that international organizations are not
providing the necessary assistance in searching for the Azerbaijani
captives and hostages and pointed to the importance of seeking other
ways of resolving the problem.
The speakers also reaffirmed that up till 1 December 2004, 4,852
Azerbaijanis had gone missing in the conflict zone, including 54
children, 323 women, and 410 elderly people. In 1998-2004, 1,360
Azerbaijanis were released from Armenian captivity, including 166
children, 335 women and 286 elderly people.
The undisputed facts show that at least 783 Azeri citizens, including
18 children, 46 women and 69 elderly people, were taken captive and
hostage by Armenia. However, this was concealed from international
organizations, including from the International Committee of the Red
Cross. The list of these people has been compiled based on witness
testimony by the Azerbaijanis released from captivity and from other
sources.
Most of these people were killed while in Armenian captivity, died
of either torture or disease, while some of them are still being held
in Armenia and the occupied Azerbaijani territories and used as slaves.
After the discussions, the commission approved the plan of activities
for 2005.