International community`s formal response to cultural genocide in  occupied Artsakh encourages its continuation - statement

ArmInfo. Any delay or formal response by the international community to the cultural genocide in occupied Artsakh encourages its continuation. This statement was  issued by the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman's Office, the NKR  Agency for Culture and Tourism Development, the Kachar Scientific  Center, and the Azgayin Historical and Cultural NGO, amid the  international community's silence regarding the crimes committed by  Azerbaijan in destroying or appropriating the heritage of the  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

The organizations noted that the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities have long since gone beyond the damage caused by isolated acts of vandalism or military action,  and have evolved into a coherent strategy whose key goal is the  complete eradication of the presence of Armenian civilization in  Artsakh.

"This policy includes the desecration and demolition of churches and  monasteries, the destruction of khachkars and cemeteries, the  deliberate destruction of historical monuments, Armenian settlements  and residential areas, and the falsification of cultural heritage.  Notably, the destruction of cultural treasures is accompanied by the  systematic distortion of history, the falsification of facts, and  propaganda aimed at misleading the international community. This is  not only a cultural but also an ideological war, the goal of which is  to erase traces of Armenian identity and rewrite the history of the  region," the statement noted.

In this regard, the organizations stated that the policy being  pursued in Artsakh must be classified as one of the largest cultural  genocides of the 21st century, aimed at destroying not only material  heritage but also the historical memory and identity of an entire  people. "These actions by Azerbaijan grossly violate the fundamental  norms of international law, including international conventions on  the protection of cultural heritage, as well as the principles of  protecting universal values. Silence and inaction in such  circumstances become a form of complicity. In this regard, we  urgently demand immediate and independent fact-finding missions from  international organizations in Artsakh, a clear and targeted response  from UNESCO and other specialized bodies, and the application of  political and legal mechanisms by states and international bodies  against Azerbaijan to prevent cultural genocide and demand  accountability for it," the organizations emphasized. They also  demanded that the Armenian authorities consistently publicize the  cultural genocide being perpetrated by Azerbaijan at the state level  in the temporarily occupied Artsakh at all international forums,  ensure proper representation of the issue in international  organizations and political agendas, and take effective and  coordinated steps to preserve and protect Artsakh's civilizational  heritage and ensure its protection through international legal  mechanisms. "We also emphasize that the destruction of cultural  heritage is not only a denial of the past but also a crime against  the future. It aims to deprive generations of their historical roots  and undermine the potential for mutual understanding and peaceful  coexistence among peoples. In this context, any delay or formal  response by the international community encourages the continuation  of such crimes. Cultural genocide cannot be viewed as a minor or  local issue. It is a global threat to the preservation of  civilization's heritage. Artsakh's cultural heritage is a universal  value, and its destruction strikes a blow to all humanity. We call  for unity to prevent this catastrophic process and ensure the  restoration of historical justice," the Artsakh NGOs said in a  statement.

In this regard, the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman also reported  on the destruction of a memorial to the victims of the Great  Patriotic War and the Artsakh wars in the village of Khnushinak,  Martuni district, Nagorno-Karabakh. He noted that this was not an  isolated act of vandalism, but an integral part of a consistent  strategy aimed at completely erasing the historical memory of this  region. "The destruction of monuments here functions as a mechanism  for constructing a 'silenced history,' in which witnesses to the past  are physically eliminated to make it possible to impose a new,  falsified history. The memorial in Khnushinak was more than just a  stone structure. It was a symbolic space where the memory of people  who lived, fought, and died for their homeland was materialized. This  monument documented the Armenian presence, historical continuity, and  the idea of sacrifice. Consequently, its destruction is directed not  only against the past but also against the future, depriving  generations of the pillars of their identity," the Ombudsman  explained. He also emphasized the concern that such actions are often  accompanied by silence from international organizations. "This  silence, in essence, translates into indirect sympathy or, at least,  indifference, which encourages the continuation of such policies.  When the destruction of cultural heritage fails to receive an  adequate political, legal, and moral response, it becomes a  widespread practice," the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman noted.

In this regard, he recalled the destruction of the Church of St. John  the Baptist (known as "Kanach Zham") in Shushi, temporarily occupied  by Azerbaijan, between December 28, 2023, and April 4, 2024, noting  that this action constitutes a gross violation of the International  Court of Justice's December 2021 ruling. "We call for unity to  prevent this catastrophic process and ensure the restoration of  historical justice," the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman  concluded. It should be noted that Azerbaijan is pursuing a  deliberate policy of not only destroying Artsakh's cultural heritage,  but also altering the architectural appearance of the occupied  territories, thereby attempting to destroy both the cultural memory  of the Artsakh people and their desire to return to their lands.