Armenian Cultural Monuments Under Threat of Destruction: Mayilyan to Azoulay

On November 19, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh, Masis Mayilyan, sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay regarding the facts of desecration and acts of vandalism against Armenian historical, spiritual, and cultural heritage monuments carried out by the Azerbaijani side, as reported by the Artsakh MFA press service.

The letter states that due to the armed aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, with the support of Turkey, a significant portion of the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, where numerous cultural monuments of Armenian heritage are located, has come under Azerbaijani military occupation.

The Foreign Minister drew attention to the fact that "videos and photographs are circulating on the internet showing Azerbaijani inscriptions on the walls of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in the city of Shushi. Sculptures that are part of the church's composition have been destroyed, and artifacts located directly in the church have been damaged. During active military operations, Azerbaijani armed forces deliberately struck the church twice from a drone. As a result of the attacks, serious damage was inflicted on the church. During the second strike, journalists who were documenting the aftermath of the first strike were injured."

The letter emphasizes that the systematic denial and destruction of the existence of Armenian historical and cultural heritage has long been the norm in Azerbaijan and is part of the state policy of inciting hatred and hostility towards Armenians. In connection with the threat of destruction of Armenian cultural monuments located in the areas of the Republic of Artsakh that have come under Azerbaijani military control, Minister Mayilyan highlighted the necessity for UNESCO to take effective measures to ensure the protection of Armenian historical, cultural, and spiritual monuments and to guarantee the fulfillment of Azerbaijan's commitments regarding the preservation of other people's cultural heritage.