Relatives of missing Armenian soldiers expressed hope for the resumption of their searches.

The newly established "All-Armenian Association of Relatives of Missing Persons" held a press conference in Yerevan. Its representatives expressed hope that search and identification processes for finding those missing during the Karabakh conflict, both soldiers and civilians, would resume between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

By the UN resolution, August 30 is declared the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances. According to the National Security Service of Armenia, the total number of missing persons throughout the entire period of the Karabakh conflict is 993 people from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the ICRC in Armenia, based on appeals received from Armenian families, 424 people are considered missing as a result of hostilities in 2020–2023. After the first Karabakh war, about 700 missing persons were registered in the ICRC offices in the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The press conference on the establishment of the "All-Armenian Association of Relatives of Missing Persons" and its plans took place in Yerevan on August 28. The founders of the association were relatives of those missing during the Karabakh conflict from 1990 to 2023.

Co-founder of the "All-Armenian Association of Relatives of Missing Persons" and member of the Interagency Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons Gor Muradyan noted that "within the framework of the commission's work, certain results were achieved even during the leadership of the National Security Service by Armen Abazyan."

"Since the times of Abazyan, we have achieved certain successes, including the appointment of investigations regarding individuals with victim status. After Abazyan's departure, two commission meetings were held, but it is difficult to speak of specific changes. However, during this time, the commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan began cooperation, and we have hope that search or identification work will resume. There are no specific deadlines on this issue, but relatives of the missing are counting on it," said Muradyan.

He noted that the created "All-Armenian Association of Relatives of Missing Persons" aims to activate the search for missing persons, also to "expand cooperation with international organizations," and to "address legal, social, and psychological issues of families of the missing."

According to the association, the number of missing persons since the 1990s, during the wars of 2020 and 2023, is about 1000 people. These are individuals whose relatives have officially submitted requests for their search to the relevant authorities.

The mother of a missing person from the 2020 war Asya Danielyan noted in her speech that "the creation of the association was the result of their years of searching for our children, our relatives." She expressed hope that "by uniting efforts, it may be possible to get an answer to the most important question for us: where are our children?"

Our right to know the truth about the fate of our loved ones has not lost its strength

Aram Chanakhchyan, the son of one of the soldiers missing during the 1990s war, believes that "the passage of time should not become a reason for forgetting the fates of people whose whereabouts are still unknown."

"The issue has not become outdated or disappeared, and our right to know the truth about the fate of our loved ones has not lost its strength. Over the years, due to insufficiently effective and uncoordinated work of state structures and the lack of proper coordination among various parties, many issues remain unresolved. For us, this is not just statistics or part of the history of war. Behind each name is a specific person and a family that has been waiting for answers for decades. We do not demand the impossible; we demand to establish the fate of our loved ones and to receive the truth. Even after decades, the state and relevant structures must continue their work on the search and identification of missing persons," said Chanakhchyan.

Armine Arakelyan, the mother of a missing soldier during the 44-day war, shared that she had approached the relevant authorities for six years to find out about her son's fate. She expressed hope that the activities of the association would yield tangible results.

Inna Abramyan has been searching for her son since September 2023. According to her, the family submitted a DNA test for the search of her son, but there have been no results to date.