Azerbaijan Transforms Building of Artsakh State University

Following the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, on November 23, 2023, a decree by Ilham Aliyev established the "Khankendi University," which is set to operate from September 2024 in the building of the Artsakh State University located in Stepanakert. Currently, construction work is underway on the premises of the Artsakh State University. The entire facade of the building is covered with scaffolding, and the complete outer cladding, which was applied during the last renovation, has been removed.

According to Monument Watch, the inscription "Artsakh State University" in Armenian has already been removed from the main façade. It is likely that the inscription "Recognize wisdom and counsel; know the words of genius," located slightly lower, will also be taken down.

The Artsakh State University was established in 1969 and initially served as a branch of the Baku V. Lenin Pedagogical Institute. In 1973, it gained autonomous status and was renamed Stepanakert State Pedagogical Institute. In recent years, the university building was reconstructed, fortified, and new academic buildings were added, funded by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

Before the complete occupation of Artsakh, the university had five faculties, 15 departments, around 3,000 students, and 200 faculty members. The university's library housed over 100,000 volumes, and a publishing house produced journals such as the "Scientific Bulletin," "Armenian Studies Review," and "Artsakh University" periodicals. A monument was also erected in the university courtyard in memory of 75 students who fell during the First Artsakh War.

With the total occupation and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, the operations of the Artsakh State University have ceased, putting its entire legacy at risk. The Azerbaijani side is establishing the "new university" in a city devoid of its Armenian population. Students are expected to come from other regions of Azerbaijan, for which one of the neighborhoods in Stepanakert will be allocated for their dormitory space. Recent photos circulating indicate that residential and private houses adjacent to the university are being demolished.

Our response: The transformation of the university established in 1969, the erasure of inscriptions, and the deliberate destruction of its rich library and infrastructure represent another phase of Azerbaijan's systematic policy to eliminate its Armenian heritage. This is a violation of Article 4 of The Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, as well as Article 15(a) of the Second Protocol adopted in 1999.