Video: Statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on Vandalism by Azerbaijan at the Holy Ghazanchetsots Cathedral

The Armenian Foreign Ministry's statement regarding the construction activities carried out by Azerbaijan at the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi is a condemnation of Azerbaijan’s actions, particularly given the numerous instances of destruction of Armenian places of worship and monuments by them.

During the aggression unleashed against Artsakh, the Azerbaijani armed forces committed numerous war crimes, among which stands out the deliberate double shelling of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi with precision weaponry in one day, followed by instances of vandalism after the declaration of a ceasefire.

It is significant that Azerbaijan is undertaking operations concerning the Shushi Cathedral without consulting the Armenian Apostolic Church, which evidently violates the religious freedom rights of Armenian believers. Equally concerning is the fact that Azerbaijan has commenced work to alter the architectural appearance of the church prior to the assessment mission by UNESCO experts.

It is clear that Azerbaijan is deliberately blocking UNESCO experts' access to endangered Armenian cultural heritage sites, on one hand to obscure the war crimes committed by them, and on the other hand to alter the historical and architectural integrity of the monument. In this situation, all the concerns of the Armenian side that Azerbaijan's actions manifest vandalism and aim to deprive the Shushi Cathedral of its Armenian identity are more than justified.

Any actions regarding the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral and the numerous Armenian historical and cultural monuments and places of worship in the territories occupied by Azerbaijan cannot be conducted without the operational involvement of international experts, primarily from UNESCO, in documenting and restoring the existing situation. The Shushi Cathedral is one of the important centers of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Artsakh and should serve as a sanctuary for believers.