The destruction of the Mother Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, which followed the destruction of the Saint Jacob Church in Stepanakert, the capital of Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), is the culmination of Azerbaijan's consistent erasure of the Armenian cultural presence and the cultural genocide being carried out at the state level, stated the Artsakh Union NGO.

The Union emphasizes that these new crimes are a direct consequence of the impunity of the previous acts, the absolute silence of the international community, and the de facto encouraging statements and inaction made by Armenia’s authorities.

“The targeting and complete demolition of the Mother Cathedral of Stepanakert is not only a continuation of the genocidal policy of the people of Artsakh, but also a clear violation of international law and judicial acts. These actions grossly violate, in particular, the following international documents:

The 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its protocols.

The 2003 UNESCO Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) Orders of December 7, 2021 and November 17, 2023, 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 with a request 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 Mother Cathedral and the Church of Saint Jacob in Stepanakert.

Raise the issue of imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan, as a state that is a regular and flagrant violator of the UN Security Council resolutions, in the UN Security Council and UNESCO.

Make the inviolability of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh a cornerstone precondition of the negotiation process with Azerbaijan and include it on the agenda of the dialogue with the mediator, the US.

The continued silence of international structures and donor organizations is tantamount to complicity in a crime. The systematic destruction of cultural values is an international crime that threatens universal civilization. We call for:

Applying targeted sanctions against the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan.

Immediately ensuring the entry of an independent international monitoring mission into the [Azerbaijani-]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 ICJ, is obliged to act decisively. Inaction and silence only open new doors for further crimes,” added the Artsakh Union NGO.