Activists Call for Azerbaijan to Stop Destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh

Karabakh activists have issued a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, calling on the international community and the Armenian authorities to prevent the destruction of the cultural heritage and private property of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Azerbaijani side.

Temples, khachkars, monuments, museum collections - all of this is under threat of irreversible loss

"The Armenian people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), as the indigenous people of the region, were forcibly deprived of their homeland as a result of Azerbaijan's long-standing consistent policy. This policy includes not only the displacement of the population, but also the systematic destruction and appropriation of its centuries-old cultural heritage. In the cities, villages and holy places of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Azerbaijani authorities are destroying everything that testifies to the Armenian presence. Temples, khachkars, monuments, museum collections - all of this is under threat of irreversible loss. These actions clearly contradict the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and the values proclaimed by UNESCO. The international community must give a clear and decisive assessment not only to prevent the continuation of cultural genocide, but also to guarantee the realization of the right of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to a safe and dignified return," reads the statement of cultural figures, distributed by the Ministry of Culture of Nagorno-Karabakh on its page on the social network.

The chairman of the public organization "Artsakh Culture and Tourism Development Agency" Sergey Shahverdyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he periodically studies fresh satellite images, from which it follows that "only in Stepanakert (the Azerbaijani name is Khankendi - note of the "Caucasian Knot") residential and public buildings with a total area of at least 18.3 hectares."

The Armenian government and the international community must respond and use all mechanisms to hold the Azerbaijani side accountable

"On August 8, Google Earth published a satellite image of Stepanakert as of May 2025. The monstrous scale of destruction became clearly visible <...> A total of 8.7 hectares - in six historical quarters, 5.7 hectares - in the university quarter, 2.6 hectares - in the quarters adjacent to the Ministry of Defense; 1.3 hectares - on Artur Mkrtchyan Street. This is about 40 multi-story apartment buildings, at least 100 private houses, dozens of shops, cafes and other public facilities. Methodically, ignoring property rights and obligations imposed by international courts, Azerbaijan persistently pursues a policy of erasing the homeland, hoping to deprive the people of Artsakh (Karabakh) of the will to return. The Karabakh public regards the destruction of private property as a policy of depriving the people of the will to return. The Armenian government and the international community must respond and use all mechanisms to hold the Azerbaijani side accountable for everything,” Shahverdyan believes.

“Numerous cases of vandalism against cultural heritage and destruction of private and public property have been recorded in Stepanakert,” Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“In addition to Stepanakert, entire settlements in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have been destroyed or completely annihilated. We must monitor each case and file a claim in an international court for each one. The Karabakh public must also ensure that the Armenian government begins to act. Unfortunately, the policy pursued by the Armenian authorities towards the people of Artsakh (Karabakh) is not based on the idea of protecting their rights,” he summed up.