Destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in U.S. religious freedom  report - Monument Watch

ArmInfo.  Pages 46-48 of the annual US report on international religious freedom for 2025 are devoted to violations of religious freedom in Azerbaijan and the destruction of Armenian monuments in Artsakh. This is stated in an  article published on the Monument Watch platform. 

In particular, new satellite data from the Caucasus Heritage  Monitoring (CHW) organization is presented, which shows places at  risk of disappearing in Artsakh and its environs. In addition, as  noted in the article, the report contains information on new cases of  destruction of Artsakh cultural heritage, including the destruction  of a 19th-century church and two cemeteries.

According to the report, "Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) provided new  satellite documentation of threatened religious sites in and around  the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In June, CHW reported the destruction of  additional Armenian religious sites-including a 19th century church,  two cemeteries, and other artifacts-since Azerbaijan retook control  of the region. Also, in June, U.S. NGO Freedom House found Azerbaijan  had carried out a "comprehensive, methodically implemented strategy  to empty Nagorno- Karabakh of its ethnic Armenian population and  historical and cultural presence" during its 2020 and 2023 military  operations and concluded Azerbaijan's actions constituted war crimes  and crimes against humanity. Some repatriated Armenian prisoners of  war reportedly endured mistreatment on a religious basis, including  verbal abuse and confiscation and breaking of religious possessions,  while in Azerbaijani captivity."

Among the recommendations to the U.S. Government are

maintain azerbaijan on the Special Watch List for engaging in or  tolerating severe violations of religious freedom pursuant to the  International Religious fFreedom Act (IRFA);

impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijani government agencies, such as  the Ministry of Internal Affairs' main department for combating  organized crime (also known as bandotdel), and officials responsible  for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those  individuals' assets and/or barring their entry into the United States  under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing  specific religious freedom violations; and facilitate an onsite visit  by an independent international observer, such as the united nations  (UN), to Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territories to inspect and  document an inventory of cultural and religious heritage. 

The U.S. Congress should: introduce and pass legislation to amend the  waiver authority (pub. l. 107-115, title ii) applicable to section  907 of the freedom support act to require specific improvements to  religious freedom in Azerbaijan before the U.S. President can waive  restrictions on security assistance to the country; and hold a  hearing in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and/or House  Foreign Affairs Committee to highlight religious freedom issues in  Azerbaijan, building on the findings of the Tom Lantos Human Rights  Commission's hearing on Azerbaijan.

Back in the summer of 2024, the Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW)  organization in its 7th report on the situation around Artsakh  signaled a 75% increase in cases of destruction of Armenian heritage  in the occupied territories of the NKR by Azerbaijan, and a 29%  increase in the number of objects classified as under threat.

For more details follow link: 

https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-  03/2025%20USCIRF%20Annual%20Report.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7EkQzf- V4ApW21cJc9uXVP69e9rQA4TcVbdSlr7H31I8AYqsjfN0gbxfK61w_aem_QhhlIQ3MULh494sPjrlp_g