The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has strongly condemned a statement by the Caucasus Muslims Board, which it says attempts to justify the destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh, particularly the demolition of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert.

The Mother See also called on international organizations to take concrete steps to “halt Azerbaijan’s planned policy of destroying Armenian culture.”

“The desecration, appropriation, or destruction of holy sites cannot be justified by any political, administrative, or false legal wording. Labeling churches built during Artsakh’s period of independence as ‘illegal constructions’ is unacceptable, and destroying or razing them on that basis is a blatant violation of international principles for the protection of religious and cultural heritage and constitutes cultural genocide.

The accusation by the Caucasus Muslims Board against the Armenian Church of obstructing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is clearly unfounded and false. Peace is undermined by the distortion of historical truth, violations of the rights of forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh, appropriation of Armenian heritage, and the systematic erasure of Armenian presence.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calls on international religious and human rights organizations, as well as all bodies responsible for protecting cultural heritage, to take effective steps to stop Azerbaijan’s planned policy of destroying Armenian culture,” the statement reads.

Recently, two churches in Stepanakert were completely demolished one after another: Saint Hakob Church and the city’s main sanctuary, the Holy Mother of God Cathedral.

Commenting on the destruction of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said: “Taking into account our previous experience, I do not think we will make this a subject of international discussion at the state level. This is a situation we must fully and comprehensively understand.”

Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan has sent an official appeal to the U.S. president, members of the Senate and Congress, the Pope, as well as leaders of influential international and church organizations, raising the issue of the destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh territories.