Destruction of WWII monuments intensifies in occupied Artsakh

The Monument Watch has raised concerns over the widespread destruction of monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (World War II) in Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh, particularly around the 80th anniversary of Victory Day on May 9.

The recent incident occurred on May 24, when it was revealed via Ararat Petrosyan’s Telegram channel that the WWII memorial in Yemishchan, a village in Artsakh's Martuni region, was destroyed under Azerbaijani control.

This is not an isolated incident. Over the past five years, similar memorials were demolished in Shushi, Hadrut, Azokh, Mets Tagher and other locations. Among the lost heritage are the busts of prominent Soviet military leaders Marshal Armenak Khanperyants and Admiral Ivan Isakov.

The destruction of monuments constitutes a violation of international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Second Protocol,  as well as fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. Moreover, it contradicts UNESCO’s 2003 Declaration on the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage.