Artsakh National Assembly condemns Azerbaijan’s barbaric attempts to destroy Armenian traces in Artsakh

After Azerbaijan’s full-scale war against Artsakh and the complete occupation of Artsakh, many medieval spiritual centers, educational complexes and memorials, buildings, and structures of historical and cultural value are endangered, the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh said in a statement.

“Despite its own loud statements about peace on various international platforms, Azerbaijan is openly trying to bring its genocidal plans against the Armenian people to an end. It is mainly expressed by the desecration, destruction, or so-called ‘albanization’ of the monuments that are symbols of the Armenian Christian historical and cultural liberation struggle and state-building.

The latest manifestations of vandalism have been the desecration of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert and the complete demolition of the buildings of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh and the Freedom Fighters Union.

According to Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict, any form of theft, pillage, or misappropriation of, and any acts of vandalism directed against, cultural property is strictly prohibited. Although UNESCO made several calls to stop the destruction of Artsakh’s historical and cultural heritage and promised to send a mission, no mission has yet arrived in Artsakh under the pretext of artificial obstacles created by Azerbaijan, and the indifference and inattention of the international community have given freedom to the vandalism of the aggressor, instigating new wars in the region.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh condemns the barbaric actions of the Azerbaijani authorities aimed at eliminating the Armenian traces and demands from the human rights organizations and the Armenian authorities to present the facts of Azerbaijan’s all anti-cultural actions one by one to the competent international bodies and courts to raise international awareness about this issue,” the National Assembly said.