The European Parliament has just adopted the resolution “On the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh” with 635 votes in favour, 2 against and 42 abstentions, National Assembly deputy Arman Yegoyan announced on his Facebook page.
It does not have binding force. Taking as a basis a number of previously adopted resolutions and the statements of the co-rapporteurs on Armenia and Azerbaijan, reports on racism and intolerance, the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs of 11 November 2021, the decisions of the International Court of Justice of 7 December 2021, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and a number of other international documents, the European Parliament notes that after the last war, 1,456 monuments have come under Azerbaijan’s control, the majority of them Armenian.
During the war, significant damage was inflicted by Azerbaijan on Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage, in particular, the Holy Saviour Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi was shelled. Damage was inflicted on the Zoravor Holy Mother of God Church near Mekhakavan and the Holy Yegishe Church in Mataghis, as well as cemeteries.
The European Parliament condemns Azerbaijan’s policy of erasing Armenian cultural heritage in and around Karabakh and denying its existence, which contradicts international law. The European Parliament considers this to be Azerbaijan’s adopted policy of Armenophobia.
Visiting the grounds of a 12th-century Armenian church in Tsakuri, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Armenian inscriptions should be removed from the church walls.
The European Parliament calls on Azerbaijan to stop the destruction of Armenian historical and cultural monuments and churches in Karabakh, and reminds that the destruction of any monument or the distortion of its identity and belonging contradicts the principles of the European Union.
Members of the European legislative body addressed this topic. Evin Incir, a member of the European Parliament from Sweden representing the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, stressed that Azerbaijan is trying to erase the cultural and historical presence and trace of Armenians in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Incir stated that she is of Kurdish origin and knows what pain the policy of denying and erasing the culture of any nation causes, a policy carried out against Kurds in Turkey. She condemned Azerbaijan’s actions.
Anna Fotyga, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group from Poland, noted that during the war both sides often spread disinformation instead of information, trying to discredit each other, hence an independent source is necessary: a UNESCO fact-finding group should be sent to the region to understand what is happening there.
The European Parliament demands that Baku not obstruct the entry of UNESCO representatives into the territories under its control and guarantee their safety. The European Parliament also demands that Azerbaijan restore all destroyed monuments, and calls on the European Union to actively participate in protecting the endangered historical and cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and to create mechanisms that would allow UNESCO to send a fact-finding group to the region. This demand was presented by Irish legislator Mick Wallace from the Left group.
Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia and advocate of the independence cause, also spoke: “I call for everything to be done so that the Armenian heritage is protected and those who destroy it are punished; destruction is a disaster, Azerbaijan is obliged to stop it,” he said.
Summarising the discussions, Vice-President of the European Commission, lawyer Věra Jourová representing Czechia, said that the European Parliament will continue to urge both sides to unconditionally and fully preserve religious and cultural heritage. For that, it is necessary to give an international mission the opportunity to assess the situation on the ground, to work towards regulating the conflict, cooperating on key issues and creating an atmosphere of trust.
The European Parliament emphasises the need to approach the issue of protecting historical and cultural heritage in the context of regulating the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the final determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and in this regard urges Azerbaijan to renounce maximalist goals.
