Search Efforts for Nearly 200 Missing Persons Have Been Halted, Says Taguhi Tovmasyan

Armenian National Assembly Member Taguhi Tovmasyan reports: "The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia is not aware of the situation. During his press conference yesterday, Nikol Pashinyan stated, 'The search efforts to determine the whereabouts of individuals classified as missing due to the recent Azerbaijani provocation on September 13, 2022, and the 44-day war in 2020 are ongoing.' I regret that the Prime Minister lacks such critical information or is pretending to be occupied with every issue.

In reality, the search efforts for nearly 200 individuals who are considered missing as a result of the 44-day war were halted in January 2022. This suspension was solely a unilateral decision made by Azerbaijan.

I have repeatedly discussed this issue with my colleagues at the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as sent numerous alerts to various organizations and centers around the world that deal with human rights issues. As of today, there has been no positive movement in this matter. It would be advisable for the nation's top official to verify relevant information before preparing for a press conference; this is all quite serious."