HRC 55: Panel on Countering Religious Hatred

08 March, 2024

Delivered by Ms. Lilit Toutkhalian, Minister Extraordinary and Envoy Plenipotentiary

Mr. President,

Nagorno Karabakh has a rich cultural history. It is home to around 4 000 Armenian cultural sites, including 370 churches, 119 fortresses, and other historical and cultural monuments and antiquities dating back centuries. Cultural and religious monuments of Nagorno Karabakh provide material evidence for the millennia-long undeniable Armenian presence in the region.

In direct violation of the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which both Armenia and Azerbaijan are signatories, as well as international humanitarian law, Azerbaijan intentionally demolishes and desecrates Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage sites. Contrary to the assurances that cultural and religious heritage is being protected, we witness how crosses are being toppled from the Armenian churches, cemeteries with precious cross-stones are being demolished, tombs and graves are being desecrated. In addition, the Azerbaijani authorities take no shame in stealing and usurping Armenian churches and monasteries, claiming them to be of any origin but Armenian, often times assigning them a non-existent Azeri identity.

The fate of these monuments, religious sites, and museum exhibits remains unclear as they are facing a constant threat of deliberate destruction, acts of vandalism and desecration, and there is no international monitoring, prevention and protection mechanism. There are serious concerns over their preservation, following Azerbaijan’s practice of systematic destruction and falsification of the identity of the Armenian cultural heritage over the last several decades, both in peacetime and the war.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan unleashed new military attack against the indigenous people of Nagorno Karabakh and forcibly displaced them. We again express our extreme concern regarding the fate of the Armenian cultural heritage, particularly the religious sites, which came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in region.

Despite Azerbaijan has numerous commitments taken within international core documents, it does not follow its obligations of conservation of the cultural heritage of another UN member-state, namely Armenia. In reality, we face the hatred policy of Azerbaijan, which reflects on the Armenian religious heritage as well.

We would like to underline once again the fact that the Armenian cultural and religious heritage constitutes a true wealth of the millennia-long history of the Armenian nation, but also has become an integral and invaluable part of the ancient history of the humanity as a whole. Armenia calls for special attention and immediate action of the international community to ensure the preservation of the Armenian religious heritage which is being targeted and is being ruthlessly erased by Azerbaijanis.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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