Armenian MP: Azerbaijan is currently committing cultural genocide in  Nagorno-Karabakh

ArmInfo.Azerbaijan is currently committing cultural genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh, destroying and vandalizing historical sites, monuments, cemeteries,  and churches. Hayk Mamijanyan, head of the opposition parliamentary faction "With Honor," made this statement during his speech at a  plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

In his address, the Armenian MP touched on the Armenian Genocide in  the Ottoman Empire and noted that there is a perception today that  the world has all the tools to prevent such crimes: international  law, institutions, and mechanisms. However, he said, this is a  profoundly misguided belief. "In 2023, Armenians once again faced a  grave crime against humanity—the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in  Nagorno- Karabakh. More than 100,000 Armenians were forced to flee  their homeland. Some might argue that this was their choice or  decision. Let me cite a fact that proves the opposite: more than 60  people died on the way to Armenia. Yes, in the 21st century, more  than 60 people died in Europe trying to escape the Azerbaijani  regime. This cannot in any way be characterized as a 'choice or  decision,'" he noted. 

"Azerbaijan is currently committing cultural genocide in  Nagorno-Karabakh. Historical sites, monuments, and churches are being  destroyed right now. The most recent example is the Church of the  Holy Mother of God in Stepanakert, which was completely destroyed in  March-April of this year. You may ask why I don't give a precise date  for the destruction. The answer is simple: the only available  evidence is satellite imagery, as Azerbaijan refuses to allow a  UNESCO monitoring mission into the area," he noted.

According to him, all of this occurred during Armenia's membership in  the PACE. "I refuse to believe that one dictator can be more powerful  than the entire civilized world. And yet, he continues to hold 19 of  my compatriots in Baku prisons, showing no intention of releasing  them. He continues to occupy more than 200 square kilometers of my  country's territory. He continues to conceal information about more  than 100 people who have gone missing since 2020. And despite the  world's indifference to all these tragedies, I stand here as a  representative of the independent Republic of Armenia and appeal to  all those who consider us their enemies: you have failed - I am  alive!" Mamijanyan declared.