13 years ago, in 2010, the UN General Assembly established the Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances in Resolution No. 65/209, expressing concern at the “increasing incidence of enforced or enforced disappearances, including arrests, detentions and abductions, in various parts of the world.”
Emphasizing the fight against enforced disappearances, including the prevention of this crime and the fight against impunity, Armenia has signed and ratified the international convention “On the Protection of All Enforced Disappearances.”
The Convention, as well as other fundamental international documents in human rights, reaffirm the right of every person not to be subjected to enforced disappearance and to receive immediate, just, and adequate compensation for the victims.
The issue of enforced disappearances is one of the most pressing and long-lasting problems during and after conflict. All the while, the families of the missing continue to wait, search, and believe in the return of their loved ones.
Regrettably, the Armenian society was not spared from this problem either. 2020 As a result of the Azerbaijani aggression, hundreds of cases of missing persons and forced disappearances were added to the cases of the 90s of the previous century, when even in the case of documented and video evidence, the authorities of Azerbaijan show inaction in finding out the fate of Armenian service members.
Concerned about the fate of hundreds of missing people during the 44-day war, Armenia also draws attention to the cases where numerous videos and testimonies proving the forced disappearances were presented. Still, no information about the fate and whereabouts of the persons mentioned above has appeared from Azerbaijan.
In this context, Armenia is taking all possible steps to present the problem to international courts, including considering that enforced disappearances in certain circumstances are also crimes against humanity defined by international law.
One of the recommendations of the International Day of Enforced Disappearances is to remind all States to respect the right of families to know the truth about the fate of their loved ones.
August 30 is the day when we address enforced disappearances and reaffirm our commitment to overcome all obstacles to discover the fate of the missing.
