Families of fallen Armenian servicemen are demanding that Pashinyan’s government take action to recover and return the remains of 51 Armenians still in occupied Artsakh, more than three years after Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military attack.
The issue was raised during a meeting with opposition lawmakers at Armenia’s National Assembly, where relatives called for concrete measures to bring their loved ones home and give them a dignified burial.
Armen Asryan, head of an organization representing families of fallen and missing servicemen, explained that unlike other Armenians buried in Artsakh, whose graves were marked and whose burials followed Armenian traditions, the remains of these 51 individuals have yet to be recovered and returned to their families.
According to Asryan, preliminary arrangements have already been made with former employees of Artsakh’s Ministry of Emergency Situations who could assist in recovering the remains. However, repeated efforts have failed, and the families say the process remains stalled due to the lack of effective action by the responsible authorities.
The families are now demanding that the issue be raised directly with Nikol Pashinyan and the relevant state institutions, insisting that concrete steps be taken to secure the return of the remains.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military attack on Artsakh following a nine-month blockade. According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, 223 Armenians, including 198 servicemen and 25 civilians, were killed. The attack led to Azerbaijan’s complete takeover of Artsakh and the forcible displacement of more than 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland.
Three years later, the families of these 51 Armenians are still waiting to bring their loved ones home, while the remains of those they lost continue to lie in occupied Artsakh.
