Azerbaijanis Destroy Historical Cemetery in Lachin, Annihilate 14th-16th Century Cross-Stones

According to the monumentwatch.org website that monitors the cultural heritage of Artsakh, on May 18, 2023, the Caucasian Heritage Monitoring Center reported that the historical cemetery in Lachin has been damaged due to "road construction works" conducted by Azerbaijan. The road construction, which began on October 15, 2022, by Azerbaijani authorities, has affected the northeastern and southern areas of the Lachin cemetery.

The Caucasian Heritage Monitoring Center documented the destruction of a unique 14th-century cross-stone as well as several cross-stones dated to the 15th and 16th centuries through satellite images. It should be noted that the precise destruction of most cross-stones could not be verified due to visibility issues related to their location.

The devastation of the Lachin cemetery and the destruction of cross-stones is not an isolated case of such vandalism. Following the 44-day war, a wide range of Armenian historical sites, including several cemeteries located near roads, were targeted under the policy of cultural ethnocide conducted by Azerbaijan. These sites were destroyed or eradicated under the guise of global road construction work, justifying the creation of new infrastructure.

As a result of this process, both the historical cemetery of Lachin and that of Shushi have been destroyed, the cemetery in Hadrut has been affected, and the 18th-century Armenian cemetery in the community of Shosh in the Askeran region has been completely annihilated.

Azerbaijan's actions regarding the destruction and appropriation of Armenian cultural values are prohibited by numerous conventions adopted by UNESCO and the Council of Europe, international court rulings, and other documents. In relation to the destruction of the unique 14th-century cross-stone at the Lachin cemetery, it must be noted that specifically targeting cross-stones is internationally prohibited, as