Azerbaijan Destroyed 14 Armenian Religious and Cultural Heritage  Sites in Artsakh - Geghard Foundation

ArmInfo.  According to 12 satellite observations conducted by the Caucasus Heritage Watch organization, Azerbaijan has already destroyed 14 sites of Armenian religious and  cultural heritage, including churches and cemeteries.

As ArmInfo was informed by the Geghard Scientific and Analytical  Foundation, this information was voiced during the hearings on the  topic "Conditions for Religious Freedom in Azerbaijan", organized by  the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom  (USCIRF). Leading researcher of Caucasus Heritage Watch Husik Ghulyan  emphasized that this is not the first case of destruction of Armenian  heritage by Azerbaijan - similar actions took place in Nakhichevan,  where Armenian monuments were destroyed.

In addition, the researcher pointed to the practice of cultural  appropriation, when Azerbaijan declares Armenian religious sites  Albanian and uses this to destroy Armenian inscriptions on these  structures. In this regard, he called on the US government to  implement a monitoring program, emphasizing that the preservation of  Armenian heritage is an important aspect of human rights protection.

During the hearings, USCIRF Commission Chairman Steven Schneck added  that the situation in Azerbaijan remains extremely alarming.  According to him, compared to 2023, many problems remain unresolved.  "The country's religious laws severely restrict the ability of  religious organizations to register and operate. Even registered  structures face bureaucratic obstacles and constant government  scrutiny," the report says.

In this regard, Schneck called on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio  to keep Azerbaijan on the special watch list, given the situation in  Artsakh. In turn, Forum 18 news editor Felix Corley drew attention to  the fact that Armenians were subjected to cruel treatment during the  conflict, including on religious grounds. In this regard, he  expressed doubts about the return of Armenians to their homes,  arguing that the regime of President Ilham Aliyev will not allow  this, and hard times await the Armenian religious heritage. In  conclusion, USCIRF representative Vicky Hartzler emphasized the need  to impose and apply sanctions against Azerbaijan until the country  changes its policy.

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 endangered.