Nearly 1500 Armenian Monuments Remain Under Azerbaijani Control, Human Rights Defender Warns

According to a trilateral statement on the ceasefire dated November 9, nearly 1500 monuments of Armenian history and culture remain under Azerbaijani control. The office of the Artsakh Human Rights Defender has published a report highlighting the threats facing Armenian cultural heritage.

According to the report, 161 monasteries and churches, 591 khachkars, the archaeological sites of Tigranakert, Azokh, New Karmiravan, Mirik, Kereni, and numerous fortresses, citadels, shrines, and other monuments, as well as 8 state museums housing 19,311 exhibits, are under Azerbaijani control, including private museums of Shushi carpets and Armenian currency.

The report presents several instances of the destruction and vandalism of Armenian cultural heritage recorded during and after the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression, including deliberate targeting and acts of vandalism against the Ghazanchetsots Holy Savior and St. John the Baptist (Green Chapel) churches in Shushi.

It also addresses the intentional dissemination of misinformation regarding Armenian cultural heritage by Azerbaijan and the state-sponsored policy of 'albanization' of cultural monuments, which further threatens Armenian cultural heritage in the region.

The analysis of existing evidence indicates that the destruction and distortion of Armenian cultural heritage are systematic and widespread. The actions and statements of Azerbaijani state bodies and public figures suggest that this is a deliberate state policy.

The office of the Artsakh Human Rights Defender considers it urgent for international relevant organizations, particularly UNESCO, to take effective and immediate measures to preserve the cultural heritage in the region.