Following the destruction of St. Hakob Church in Stepanakert occupied by Azerbaijan, the destruction of St. Astvatmamor Hovanu Cathedral is the culmination of Azerbaijan’s consistent erasure of Armenian cultural presence and cultural genocide carried out at the state level. The Artsakh Union emphasizes that these new crimes are the direct result of the impunity of the preceding acts, the absolute silence of the international community, and the actual encouraging statements and inaction of the Armenian authorities.
The targeting and demolition of the Stepanakert Cathedral is not only a continuation of the Genocide policy of the Artsakh people, but also a clear violation of international law and judicial acts. These actions grossly violate the following international documents in particular:
The 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols;
2003 UNESCO Declaration on the Deliberate Destruction of Cultural Heritage.
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
International Court of Justice (ICJ) of December 7, 2021 and 2023 November 17 orders obliging Azerbaijan to prevent and punish the targeting of Armenian cultural heritage.
The Artsakh Union demands that the government of the Republic of Armenia reconsider its encouraging inaction and rhetoric and take the following immediate steps:
Stop the rhetoric encouraging the aggressor, which creates the illusion of impunity on international platforms and legitimizes Azerbaijan’s criminal behavior.
Immediately apply to the International Court of Justice to apply new interim measures within the framework of the existing interstate complaint, based on the fresh and proven facts of the destruction of the Stepanakert Cathedral and St. Hakob Church.
Raise the issue of imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council and UNESCO, as a state that regularly and grossly violates the orders of the United Nations.
To make the inviolability of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh a cornerstone precondition of the negotiation process with Azerbaijan and to include it in the agenda of the dialogue with the mediator USA.
The continued silence of international structures and donor organizations is tantamount to complicity. Systematic destruction of cultural values is an international crime that threatens universal civilization. We call.
Apply targeted sanctions against the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan.
Immediately ensure the entry of an independent international monitoring mission into the occupied territories to assess the condition of the remaining monuments and prevent further crimes.
The Republic of Armenia, as the primary entity responsible for the protection of the Armenian heritage and the rights of the people of Artsakh and the applicant party to the International Criminal Court, is obliged to act decisively. Inaction and silence only open new doors for further crimes.
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