Speaking at the CE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), member of the Armenian delegation to PACE Naira Zohrabyan touched on the problem of religious and cultural intolerance.

Specifically, she spoke of the Azerbaijan authorities’ actions to destroy khachkars (cross-stones) in Juga.

If vandals, driven by their own religious and political intolerance, can go unpunished, how various religions and cultures, as well as heritage, can be respected, Zohrabyan asked. She reminded the PACE members that in 1998 the Azerbaijani authorities launched a consistent policy of destroying the Armenian cemetery in Julfa. In 2005, an ancient cemetery, a singular piece of cultural heritage, was razed to the ground by Azeri soldiers.

In 2006, the European Parliament condemned the vandalism in Juga and called on Azerbaijan to stop the destruction of khachkars. The Armenian MP called on PACE to send a monitoring mission to Juga.

Azerbaijan’s blackmail prevented PACE and UNESCO missions from visiting Juga, she added. Zohrabyan once again raised the issue of sending a PACE monitoring mission to Juga for PACE members to see Azerbaijan’s attitude to a people’s heritage.

The Armenian MP distributed a DVD with the documentary “Juga: Vandals of the 21st century.”