Armenian Legal Center and ICLAW publish policy brief on cultural genocide in Artsakh

(Horizon Weekly) – A newly released policy brief by the International and Comparative Law Center, Armenia, and the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights lays bare a systematic and state-sponsored campaign by Azerbaijan to erase the Armenian cultural and religious presence in Artsakh. The report documents the deliberate destruction, desecration, and appropriation of centuries-old Armenian churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and historic monuments following the forced displacement of the region’s indigenous population.

The destruction of Armenian cultural heritage is presented as an extension of ethnic cleansing and a central instrument of historical revisionism. By eliminating physical evidence of Armenian life in Artsakh, Azerbaijan is seeking to rewrite history, deny the region’s Armenian identity, and legitimize future territorial claims. The brief makes clear that these actions are not isolated incidents but part of a long standing policy that accelerated after the 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.

The report further underscores that the ongoing demolition and falsification of cultural sites constitutes grave violations of international law, including conventions safeguarding cultural property, religious freedom, and the rights of indigenous and minority populations. The continued failure of the international community to intervene has enabled the near total destruction of irreplaceable heritage sites and emboldened further acts of cultural erasure.

The legal centers behind the policy brief call for immediate and decisive international action to halt the destruction and to hold Azerbaijan accountable. They warn that every day of inaction brings irreversible loss and further entrenches a campaign aimed at erasing the Armenian historical presence in Artsakh altogether.

The report can be accessed here.