New report details “tragic fate” of Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

A recent report by the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) exposes Azerbaijan’s systematic and deliberate violations of human rights and the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The report sheds light on the grim reality faced by the 120,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from their ancestral homeland and reveals the extent of Azerbaijan’s efforts to erase their cultural heritage.

“Since the violent aggression in September 2023, Azerbaijan has embarked on a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, forcibly displacing them and replacing their heritage with Azeri narratives,” Monuments Watch says.

“The erasure of Armenian cultural sites has been particularly severe. Historic churches, monasteries, and holy sites that date back millennia to Armenia’s Christian roots are systematically demolished, their Armenian inscriptions erased. This revisionist approach not only seeks to erase Armenia’s rich historical presence in the region, but also manipulates the narrative to claim these sites as part of Azerbaijan’s heritage.”

ECLJ’s report details how Azerbaijan’s actions violate international norms and laws, including the right to cultural heritage and the protection of civilian infrastructure in conflict zones. The United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) has affirmed the displaced Armenians’ right to return safely and promptly to their homes, linking this right to the principle of self-determination. However, Azerbaijan’s policies are in direct contradiction to these rulings, forcibly displacing Armenians and preventing their return while erasing all traces of their historical presence in the region.