Armenian lawyer questions Baku's new missing persons initiative

Armenian human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan has questioned a new Azerbaijani initiative aimed at gathering anonymous information about missing persons and burial sites, saying the effort risks becoming a tool for political bargaining unless it is backed by international oversight and public trust.

The comments came after Sharafat Hasanov, deputy head of Azerbaijan's State Security Service and secretary of the country's state commission on missing persons, announced that citizens of both Armenia and Azerbaijan would be able to anonymously submit information on missing persons and possible burial sites through a newly developed electronic database created by the International Commission on Missing Persons.

In an interview with Panorama.am on Thursday, Sahakyan said the initiative appears, at least on its face, to be intended to collect information from individuals who may possess relevant knowledge. But she said its effectiveness ultimately depends on whether the process is credible and impartial.

"If there is no international involvement and the process remains entirely under the control of one side, there are legitimate questions about whether the information will be used objectively and effectively to address the humanitarian needs of families of the missing," Sahakyan said. "There is a real risk that such information could instead become part of ongoing political bargaining, which is unacceptable."

Sahakyan said confidence in the initiative should be judged against Azerbaijan's previous handling of similar cases. She argued that in incidents where video footage and other verifiable evidence already exist, authorities exercising control over the relevant territory have long had the means to establish what happened.

Instead, she said, Azerbaijan has consistently denied wrongdoing in cases involving crimes by its military personnel.

"In cases where evidence points to crimes committed by Azerbaijani servicemen, the state has sought to conceal objective evidence and manufacture false narratives in an effort to evade responsibility," she said.

Sahakyan also alleged that there are cases in which evidence indicates the remains of Armenian soldiers are in Azerbaijani custody, yet authorities have neither acknowledged the circumstances of their deaths nor returned the bodies.

She said new initiatives are unlikely to gain public confidence until such cases are investigated transparently and authorities demonstrate a genuine commitment to accountability.

"Without public trust, any new mechanism will struggle to gain acceptance among the families directly affected by these humanitarian issues," she said.

Although she welcomed efforts to improve information gathering, Sahakyan said Azerbaijan should first demonstrate its willingness to responsibly disclose information already in its possession and establish the truth about previous incidents, including those involving crimes committed by its servicemen.

Only after those steps are taken, she said, should authorities introduce new mechanisms aimed at closing the remaining information gaps surrounding missing persons.