Azerbaijan destroys Garegin Nzhdeh statue in Martuni

Azerbaijan has destroyed a statue of Armenian national hero Garegin Nzhdeh in the town of Martuni, Artsakh, the Monument Watch reported.

Rizvan Huseynov, Director of the Caucasus History Center in Azerbaijan, posted a video on May 17 showing the monument’s destruction, calling it an act of heroism and labeling Nzhdeh a fascist. He also announced the destruction of the Monte Melkonian statue.

The statue of Nzhdeh, sculpted by Armenian artist Armen Petrosyan, was installed on September 26, 2020.

The Artsakh Monument Watch condemned the act, citing violations of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Second Protocol. The destruction also breaches the International Court of Justice’s binding 2021 ruling, which obliges Azerbaijan to prevent and punish acts of vandalism targeting Armenian cultural heritage.

According to international humanitarian law, including customary norms and Articles 38–41, the destruction of cultural monuments in occupied territories is prohibited and legally binding on all states.