Azerbaijan continues to destroy residential areas in Artsakh

Azerbaijan continues to target Armenian residential areas, settlements and cultural monuments in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), warns Hovik Avanesov, Cultural Ombudsman of the Armenian Highlands.

“The destruction of Armenian monuments and settlements persists at an alarming rate, with entire residential districts and settlements now being destroyed at an even greater pace,” he told Panorama.am in an interview on Friday.

The latest target is the village of Mariamadzor in Artsakh’s Hadrut region. Its destruction was confirmed by a photo posted on a Telegram channel on February 4.

“All these facts once again indicate that the invaluable cultural heritage of Artsakh is under the threat of complete destruction and appropriation, which constitutes an act of genocide,” Avanesov emphasized.

He also pointed out that Azerbaijan remained unpunished after the state-sponsored destruction of the ancient khachkars (cross-stones) in Julfa.

“It is not surprising that the same actions are being carried out in occupied Artsakh, where Azerbaijan is allowed to act with impunity. The ongoing vandalism against Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh is being documented by international scientific institutions, providing a critical basis for bringing the genocidal and terrorist state of Azerbaijan before an international court,” Avanesov wrote on Facebook.