Azerbaijani occupation forces completely destroyed the Great  Patriotic War memorial complex in Martuni, Artsakh

ArmInfo.Azerbaijani occupation forces have completely destroyed the memorial complex  dedicated to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War (1941- 1945) and the Artsakh Liberation War in the town of Martuni in occupied Artsakh, as reported by Artak Mkrtchyan,  Artsakh Cultural Heritage Commissioner,  on his Facebook page. He accompanied his post with photographs.

 "Azerbaijan continues to destroy the Armenian cultural and  historical heritage of Artsakh at the state level.  In the city of  Martuni, Artsakh, the memorial complex honoring the martyrs of the  Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and the Artsakh Liberation War has  been completely destroyed. This memorial complex was opened on May 7,  2007, as a symbol of unity and remembrance for heroes across  generations. Today, it no longer exists. This is mere vandalism. This  is a cultural genocide. This is a deliberate policy of erasing the  Armenian trace, history, and memory in Artsakh," Mkrtchyan noted.

According to him, even more cynical is the fact that in 2025,  Azerbaijan was elected to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, while  the systematic destruction of cultural property continues in the  occupied territories. "The international community's silence is  becoming resignation. The destruction of cultural heritage is a crime  as well. Monuments can be destroyed, but the memory of people will  never be erased.  History cannot be erased," Mkrtchyan concluded.

Recall, back in the summer of 2024, Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW), in  its 7th report on the situation around Artsakh, highlighted 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 sites classified as endangered.