April 30, 2026
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement. “The Mother See of St. Etchmiadzin strongly condemns the statement of the Department of Muslims of the Caucasus, which attempts to justify the destruction of the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh by the Azerbaijani authorities, in particular, the destruction of the foundation of the St.
The desecration, usurpation or destruction of holy places cannot be justified by any political, administrative or false legal formulation. Calling the churches built during the period of Artsakh independence “illegal constructions” is unacceptable, and destroying the sanctuaries on that basis, razing them to the ground, is a clear violation of the international principles of protection of religious and cultural heritage and cultural abuse.
The accusation of the Department of Muslims of the Caucasus against the Armenian Church regarding the obstruction of the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is clearly unfounded and false. Peace is hindered by the falsification of the historical truth, the violation of the rights of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians, the usurpation of Artsakh’s Armenian heritage and the consistent erasure of the Armenian trace.
Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin calls on international religious and human rights organizations, all responsible structures for the protection of cultural heritage to take active steps to stop the planned policy of destruction of Armenian culture by Azerbaijan.
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