Artsakh human rights activist: Armenian Labor Minister`s statements   encourage Azerbaijan`s genocidal policy of destroying Artsakh  heritage

ArmInfo. The remarks made by Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan encourage Azerbaijan's genocidal policy of destroying Artsakh  cultural and spiritual heritage in the territory of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

Artak Beglaryan, head of the Artsakh Union public organization and  former NKR Ombudsman, made this statement in response to Torosyan's  comments which were broadcast on Armenian Public Television.   Torosyan stated that "the topic of Azerbaijan's destruction of  Armenian cultural, historical, and religious monuments (in Artsakh -  ed.) should not be included in the bilateral agenda  between Yerevan  and Baku."

 "The notorious Artsakh hater, Arsen Torosyan, would do well to  remain silent on issues related to Artsakh and effectively and  conscientiously fulfill his duties in the Ministry, which faces a  tremendous amount of work both in addressing the needs of the  forcibly displaced Artsakh population and in addressing the social  issues of Armenian citizens in general. Your criminal statements  simply encourage Azerbaijan's genocidal policy of destroying those  Armenian and universal human values that mean nothing to you,"  Beglaryan wrote on his Facebook page.

Recall, on April 21, it was reported that Azerbaijan had razed the  Surb Astvatsatsin Church to the ground.  Days earlier, it was also  reported that the enemy had destroyed the Surb Hakob Church in  Stepanakert. In recent days, Azerbaijan has been actively preparing  the ground for the destruction of one of Artsakh's symbols—the "We  Are Our Mountains" monument. The cultural genocide in Artsakh is  taking place amid the tacit encouragement of the so-called civilized  international community. Day after day, the Azerbaijani occupiers are  destroying sites that testify to the millennia-long presence of  Armenians on this land.

It should be noted that since the occupation of Artsakh, Azerbaijan  has completely destroyed or significantly damaged the following  cultural and religious sites. The Kanach Zham (Surb Hovhannes  Mkrtich) Church in Shushi was completely destroyed in April 2024. The  Ghazanchetsots Cemetery in Shushi was completely destroyed. The  village of Karintak was completely bulldozed. Monuments and busts in  Stepanakert, including those of Charles Aznavour, Hovhannes  Aivazovsky, Hovhannes Tumanyan, and Marshal Baghramyan, were  dismantled. The Marshal Khudyakov Museum in the village of Mets Tager  was destroyed. Today, approximately 4,000 Armenian cultural sites  remain under Azerbaijani control, including more than 370 churches  and 119 ancient fortresses.