YEREVAN. - Azerbaijan destroyed Armenian monuments in Soviet times, before, during and after the Nagorno-Karabakh liberation war, and is destroying them now, Samvel Karapetyan, head of the Yerevan branch of the Research on Armenian Architecture (RAA) NGO, told journalists. According to him, Azerbaijanis are especially destroying “obviously Christian” monuments.

The RAA has for 30 years been studying Armenian monuments in Azerbaijan. As far back as 1970s, information was received on intolerance to Armenian monuments in Azerbaijan. Armenian monuments were destroyed and mosques were built instead Karapetyan said.

“After the Karabakh war it was clear that Azerbaijanis had destroyed Armenian graves and exploded churches. Our neighbors are a scourge for civilization. We are suffering, and our destroyed heritage is an irreparable loss for civilized world,” Karapetyan said.