The Criminal Methods Uniting Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Terrorists

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement regarding Azerbaijan's targeting of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi. The statement specifically says: "We strongly condemn the attack by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Armenian church located in the city of Shushi, Artsakh Republic. We remind the Azerbaijani side that attacks against historical monuments, works of art, and places of worship, which are part of the cultural and spiritual heritage of peoples, constitute a gross violation of international treaty and customary humanitarian law, and the destruction of cultural monuments during military operations qualifies as a war crime. The deliberate destruction of historical, cultural, and religious sites is a notorious signature characteristic of international terrorist organizations. One only needs to recall the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban, as well as the destruction of the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra and the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Deir ez-Zor by ISIS terrorists in Syria.

The attack on the Holy Savior Church in Shushi demonstrates that the criminal trio alliance that has unleashed aggression against the Republic of Artsakh—Azerbaijan, Turkey, and terrorist organizations—is united not only by common goals but also by a shared value system and criminal methods of conducting military operations.

Once again, we emphasize that the preservation of cultural heritage is of great importance for all peoples of the world, and any damage inflicted on a people’s cultural values represents a harm to the cultural heritage of all humanity. Aside from the adoption of numerous international conventions regarding the protection of cultural and historical heritage, this issue has also been raised at the level of the UN Security Council, which, in its resolution (2347) has called on all states to engage collectively and systematically against the practice of destruction of cultural heritage, particularly by terrorist groups in the context of armed conflicts.

We reiterate that in the context of Azerbaijan’s blatant denial of humanitarian and universal values, the international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh is the most effective means of ensuring the security of the people of Artsakh, realizing their fundamental rights, and preserving Artsakh’s cultural heritage.