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Confronting Religious Persecution at the IRF Summit

Feb. 10Stories That Demand Action:

Last week I spoke on a panel at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C.—a global gathering that brings together advocates, policymakers, and legal experts from around the world who are on the front lines of defending religious freedom. The Summit provides a rare forum to share firsthand experiences, expose ongoing...More

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has once again become the site of unspeakable violence , with Christian communities being targeted by terrorists and militant forces. On February 15, over 70 Christians – primarily women, children, and the elderly – were added to the list of victims when they were abducted...More

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Persecuted Christians Worldwide

Nagorno-Karabakh, located in what is now southwestern Azerbaijan, hosts a treasure trove of Armenian Christian heritage – churches, monasteries, khachkars (medieval memorial crosses), and other cultural artifacts that tell of the faith and culture of the Armenian people. These cherished pieces of Armenian history, however, are being systematically erased from the region.

Is Azerbaijan intentionally destroying – and even denying the existence of – the Armenian Christian heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh? Sadly, yes. This is the subject of the latest report of our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), “The Systematic Erasure of Armenian Christian Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh,” which describes the eradication of Armenian Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, evaluates the international response to date, and provides recommendations to combat the cultural erasure.

So why is this happening? And how?

Almost a year ago, in September 2023, Azerbaijan took complete control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a rapid offensive – and did so with near-international indifference. As a result, 120,000 Armenians were forced to flee the homeland of their ancestors, where they had been present for millennia.

Naturally, such a long presence led to the development of an exceptional heritage: unique churches, schools, monuments, cemeteries, and other cultural relics. Unfortunately, today more than 6,000 of those buildings, structures, and memorial sites that bear witness to the faith and culture of a resilient people have either been destroyed or are under threat of destruction.

Systematic Destruction and Cultural Revisionism

Despite numerous requests from Armenia and various international institutions, Azerbaijan has repeatedly refused to allow foreign observers to monitor Nagorno-Karabakh’s cultural sites. Thus, Armenia’s heritage can only be monitored via satellite surveillance, and access to sources regarding the ongoing cultural destruction is limited. The ECLJ’s report provides a thorough list and detailed examination of the religious heritage sites that have been destroyed, damaged, or threatened by Azerbaijan between September 2023 and June 2024. The report also details the cultural revisionism carried out by Azerbaijan.

To accomplish complete cultural erasure, Azerbaijan has gone beyond merely destroying Armenian heritage – Azerbaijan is also denying it ever existed. Azerbaijan is waging a veritable cultural war, rewriting the region’s history to deny the Armenian presence and its entire Christian cultural heritage. This is clear from the speeches of Azerbaijan’s president and other officials: They accuse the Armenians of lying about Nagorno-Karabakh’s history and wrongfully appropriating the churches belonging to other cultures.

Azerbaijan’s destruction of Armenian culture warrants international attention not only because a people group’s invaluable heritage is in danger of being erased but also because Azerbaijan’s actions contravene international agreements such as the 1954 Hague Convention and the World Heritage Convention. Although numerous international institutions have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, the international response has not been strong enough. Azerbaijan has not heeded the international community’s calls to respect Armenia’s cultural heritage.

The ECLJ’s Work To Preserve Armenian Christian Heritage

The ECLJ is committed to employing all available means to urge international institutions to protect Armenian Christian heritage. It has contacted PACE deputies, petitioning them to speak out against Azerbaijan’s horrific destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh, and it has also reached out to the author of the newly adopted PACE Resolution 2558, “Countering the Erasure of Cultural Identity in War and Peace,” to thank her for her work on cultural erasure in Ukraine and her acknowledgment of the destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh in her report.

The ECLJ’s zealous advocacy contributed to an important discussion of cultural erasure in the South Caucasus during the debate of Resolution 2558, with three of the delegates the ECLJ contacted raising the issue of the ongoing cultural erasure in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ECLJ will continue to bring this issue to the attention of international institutions until the protection of Armenian Christian heritage is ensured.

Regardless of whether it is due to institutional corruption or mere apathy, international organizations and Azerbaijan’s near neighbors have all failed to adopt a strong stance in opposition to the destruction and revisionism of Armenian culture. This must not continue. As noted by historians and cultural experts alike, if total cultural erasure occurs, it will be a consequence of international complacency.

However, there is still time to stop Azerbaijan’s cultural genocide. To prevent the destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh before it is too late, international organizations must go beyond their moral condemnations and take firm, assertive action against the systematic erasure of Armenian Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We must publicize this systematic destruction of Armenian heritage and denounce it so that it can be stopped. The ECLJ invites you to read and share this report, which we will also circulate to diplomatic and U.N. representatives, so concrete action can be taken and that this Christian heritage, the common heritage of humanity, can be preserved.

This article was written by Thibault van den Bossche, an Advocacy Officer for the persecuted Christians at the ECLJ.

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