“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
2024-10-23
Even before the 44-day war, parents of Azerbaijani soldiers and opposition activists repeatedly raised concerns about the sale of soldiers' internal organs. There is evidence that this trade continued even during and after the war. Moreover, the Azerbaijani government has not hesitated to sell the organs of its own soldiers and profit from it, even during military operations.
This issue has always been in the spotlight for Azerbaijani oppositionists. Especially those who are now forced to live abroad, trying to ensure their physical safety from the authoritarian regime. It is the Azerbaijanis living abroad who have been spreading photos and videos on social media showing empty coffins handed over to the parents of killed Azerbaijani soldiers.
Suleyman Suleymanli, an opposition activist who has been consistently fighting against the Aliyev authoritarian regime, wrote on his X page that in many cases, the coffins handed over to parents have been empty, because "Aliyev has sold the internal organs of soldiers".
He shared another video showing mothers of fallen soldiers protesting in front of the Milli Majlis. Their sons were not only killed during military campaigns but also in peacetime. "These soldiers were not killed by Armenians but by those involved in the organ trade within our army. The Aliyev regime is killing our soldiers and then blaming it on Armenia," one protester said.
Various videos are circulating online showing coffins containing objects instead of the bodies of dead servicemen. One such incident occurred in Azerbaijan's Agjabedi district, where instead of a soldier's body in the coffin, there was a bag filled with sand.
It is clear that military operations, rather than restraining the Aliyev regime's horrific activities, are exacerbating them. Wounded and deceased soldiers are becoming potential donors for organ trade. For instance, the body of an Azerbaijani soldier killed at the frontline was transported to hospital in occupied Varanda (Fizuli), where his internal organs were removed. His body was then stuffed with cotton and sewn up. The soldier's coffin was subsequently delivered to the village of Kemarli in Gazakh district and buried secretly at night, without the knowledge of his relatives. The soldier's mother was even denied the opportunity to say farewell to her son and was forbidden to speak about the incident.
Another Azerbaijani opposition activist, Manaf Jalilzade, who has been fighting against the Aliyev dictatorial regime since 2018, speaks about the horrific incidents in the army.
Jalilzade shared a video featuring Arif Ismailov, the father of a deceased soldier, who tells what happened. Ismailov's son, Agil, was conscripted into the N 217 military unit in Nakhijevan in 2021. After serving for 14 months, Agil began requesting money from his parents to go on leave. The family was later informed that Agil had committed suicide. However, Arif Ismailov says that his son was murdered, citing the absence of his son's internal organs. He further revealed that Agil was killed with a blunt axe or a metal object. Ismailov accuses military prosecutor Khanlar Valiyev of protecting the perpetrators and claims that this is not the first such case in the Azerbaijani army.
These are not the only cases of the facts about killing soldiers and selling their internal organs. Recently, Manaf Jalilzade once again spoke about this topic, stating that for many years, soldiers' organs have been removed and sold to Israel. He draws attention to the fact that only the children of poor families are falling victim to the monstrous policies of the Aliyev regime.
According to Manaf Jalilzade, the deaths of 4 Azerbaijani servicemen in the occupied Berdzor region (Lachin) were not accidental. Although the Azerbaijani media reported the incident as intoxication, the Azerbaijani oppositionist disagrees. Jalilzade is convinced that the organs of these servicemen were also sold.
The evidence clearly shows that the sale of organs of Azerbaijani soldiers is a systemic practice for the Aliyev regime. It is tragic that Azerbaijani society is powerless to stop such atrocities, including the trafficking of their own soldiers, even in the aftermath of the 44-day war. This abhorrent policy continues to escalate.