The Armenian church of San Santiago, in Stepanakert (Azerbaijan), has been completely destroyed, according to a statement from the Diocese of Artsaj published on April 12, 2026. As reported by Tribune Chrétienne, the destruction of the temple is attributed to the authorities of Azerbaijan, in the context following the total takeover of the territory in 2023.
The diocese, currently taking refuge in Armenia after the forced exodus of the Armenian population, has expressed its “profound sadness” for the loss of a place that for years was the center of the liturgical life of the local Christian community.
A central temple in sacramental life
The church of San Santiago was a spiritual reference point for thousands of faithful who gathered every Sunday for the liturgy and the reception of the Eucharist.
Its destruction means, in the words of the diocese, not only the disappearance of a building, but the elimination of a place where the sacramental life of a community that today finds itself dispersed after its forced departure from the territory was sustained.
Accusations of systematic destruction of Christian heritage
The statement frames this event within a broader series of attacks against Christian religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. The diocese denounces the destruction or profanation of other churches in recent years and speaks of a process carried out in a “systematic, deliberate, and state-level” manner.
In that sense, it qualifies the situation as a “cultural genocide,” considering that there is a will to eliminate all traces of the Armenian Christian presence in the region.
Exile and disappearance of a historical presence
Since September 2023, following the total recovery of the territory by Azerbaijan, the vast majority of the Armenian population has abandoned the area and taken refuge in Armenia.
This displacement has put an end to a Christian presence that dates back centuries. Churches, monasteries, and cemeteries were not only places of worship, but also visible signs of an identity deeply rooted in the history of the Caucasus.
Call in the face of lack of international reaction
The diocese also denounces the lack of response from international organizations, which it accuses of remaining indifferent to the destruction of religious heritage.
According to its leaders, the progressive disappearance of these temples affects not only the Armenian people, but the entire Christian heritage. The loss of these places also raises questions about the protection of religious sites in conflict contexts and about the effective respect for religious freedom.
Deprived of their churches, Armenian faithful today live in exile, with added difficulties for the transmission of the faith, closely linked in their tradition to consecrated places.
The diocese has reiterated its intention to continue demanding justice and has called on the international community to intervene to stop what it considers a continued destruction of the Christian legacy in the region.
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