Azerbaijan destroys Great Patriotic War memorial in Artsakh village

A recent satellite image analysis has revealed that Azerbaijan has completely destroyed a Great Patriotic War memorial in Yemishchan, a village in the Martuni region of occupied Artsakh. 

The images were posted on the Telegram channel of Ararat Petrosyan, who condemned the destruction as yet another blatant act of systemic vandalism against Armenian heritage.

Hovik Avanesov, Ombudsman for the Cultural Heritage of the Armenian Highlands, also denounced the incident, warning that Artsakh is experiencing "one of the greatest cultural genocides of the 21st century".

Avanesov also cited Article 243.4 of Russia's Criminal Code, which stipulates penalties for vandalizing World War II monuments, even those located outside Russian territory.

He criticized the silence of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially given that Patriarch Kirill recently awarded a high state order to Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva despite Azerbaijan’s history of cultural destruction. Avanesov called for a strong and appropriate response to the ongoing vandalism of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh.