Stepanakert cathedral vandalized by Azerbaijan

A cathedral in Stepanakert, the capital of Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), has been damaged in an apparent act of vandalism, the Artsakh Monument Watch reported.

The watchdog said videos filmed by Azerbaijani users show two windows of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral broken. While the building remains structurally intact and shows no major external damage, the newly observed destruction of the windows is described as deliberate and raises concerns about the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in the city.

Constructed in 2019, the cathedral is considered a key symbol of Stepanakert’s Armenian identity.

The monitoring group stated that the damage constitutes a violation of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention (1999), which oblige parties to prevent vandalism and protect cultural sites in territories under their control.

The report stressed that Azerbaijan bears responsibility under international law to safeguard such sites and prevent acts of damage.

The group also referenced a December 7, 2021 order by the International Court of Justice in the case of Armenia v. Azerbaijan, which required Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to prevent and punish vandalism against Armenian cultural and religious heritage.

The condition of the cathedral’s interior remains unknown due to a lack of recent access or imagery.