ArmInfo. Azerbaijan has vandalized the "We and Our Mountains" monument in occupied Stepanakert. This was reported by the Monument Watch organization.
"On November 8, 2024, Azerbaijani Telegram channels began publishing photos and videos of the "We, Our Mountains" monument located in occupied Stepanakert. The published footage captured numerous notes on the back of the monument. Mostly, Azerbaijanis who visited the monument "immortalized" their names, surnames, names of settlements, and also left mocking notes addressed to Armenians and Armenia. In addition, judging by the footage, it becomes clear that the territory surrounding the monument is damaged.
At the same time, it is noticeable that the Azerbaijani propaganda machine puts forward the thesis that although the monument was erected with Azerbaijani money in Soviet times, it has become a "symbol of Armenian separatism" and therefore should be dismantled.
We can assure you that the Azerbaijani authorities do not prohibit their residents visiting Stepanakert from covering the monument with various notes, and also encourage discussions about dismantling the monument," the Monument Watch statement says.
The organization recalled that acts of vandalism and desecration of the "We Are Our Mountains" monument are prohibited by the Hague Convention of 1954. According to Article 4 of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict: "States have the duty to respect both their own and the cultural property of the other party by refraining from acts of hostility, desecration, destruction and reprisals."
"The Council of Europe Convention on the Architectural Heritage, of which Azerbaijan has been a member since 2010, obliges the parties to protect and preserve the world's architectural heritage. Article 4 requires parties to avoid distortion or destruction of architectural heritage values. The desecration of Armenian monuments was also prohibited by the Hague International Court of Justice in its decision of December 7, 2021. According to the latter, Azerbaijan must take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration of Armenian cultural heritage, including, but not limited to, churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artifacts.
In addition, on March 12, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the need for closer ties between the EU and Armenia, the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which in its 19th point condemns the destruction of all historical and cultural sites documenting the centuries-old Armenian presence, cases of vandalism and desecration.
The resolution of the French Senate of January 17, 2024 also condemned Azerbaijan's policy of destroying the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.
And in point 77 of the "Report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy for 2023" of the European Parliament of February 28, 2024, there is a demand to protect the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with UNESCO standards and Azerbaijan's international obligations," Monument Watch emphasized.