In a powerful address during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Sahib Mammadov, International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) representative and adviser to the IEPF president, raised alarming concerns about Azerbaijani children taken hostage during the First Karabakh War.

Mammadov's speech, delivered on March 5, focused on the pressing issue of child trafficking and the exploitation of children for forced labor in the aftermath of the conflict. Despite more than 30 years having passed since the war, Mammadov emphasized the silence from official authorities in Armenia regarding the fate of these innocent children.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, a crucial source of information, has provided details solely about the 4496 Azerbaijanis taken hostage during the First Karabakh War, leaving the fate of the captured children unaddressed. According to the State Commission on Captives, Hostages, and Missing Persons, 71 hostage children have been documented, with no information available about their future.

During this period, media reports surfaced, suggesting the unthinkable – the sale of organs from these children for transplantation purposes. This shocking revelation was even brought to the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Recent developments, such as the discovery of 13 mass graves in deliberate territories of Azerbaijan since 2020, have further illuminated the tragic fate of hostages and captured Azerbaijanis, including children, who were buried en masse. Armenia, in response to reports, has not refuted the possibility that hostage children may have fallen victim to human trafficking.

In light of these distressing revelations, Mammadov stressed the imperative need for a comprehensive investigation into this matter. The UN Human Rights Council now faces the critical task of addressing the urgent concerns raised by Mammadov and the IEPF, urging global collaboration to ensure accountability and justice for the Azerbaijani children who continue to suffer the consequences of the First Karabakh War.