US State Department Report on the Destruction of Armenian Churches in Azerbaijan

The US State Department has published its "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom" regarding Azerbaijan. The document references a study released in September by the Cornell University’s Caucasus Heritage Watch, highlighting that satellite imagery analysis indicated the destruction of 108 medieval and modern Armenian monasteries, churches, and cemeteries in Nakhchivan between 1997 and 2011. Some, like the Saint Thomas Monastery, have been transformed into mosques or other public buildings.

“In October, Caucasus Heritage Watch issued an additional report stating that the Armenian Saint Sarkis Church from the 18th-19th centuries was destroyed from March to July. According to the organization, the demolition of the Saint Sarkis Church is a serious violation of a ruling made by the International Court of Justice in December 2021,” the State Department's report notes.

The document also addresses the government's control over the appointment of personnel in religious institutions. It mentions that human rights groups and other organizations have reported that the government continues to exert physical violence and arrest religious activists for political reasons.