Satellite imagery analysis by Caucasus Heritage Watch confirms that a 19th-century church in the village of Tandzatap, located in the Kashatagh region of occupied Artsakh, was destroyed by Azerbaijani forces between October 2023 and April 2024 (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15GxcHcgme/). The church, constructed in the latter half of the 19th century, has been deliberately demolished, highlighting the ongoing threats to cultural heritage in the region (for details, see: The Church of Tandzatap, https://monumentwatch.org/en/monument/the-church-of-tandzatap/).

An extensive contemporary cemetery once surrounded the church, which the Azerbaijani side destroyed between 1989 and 1993. During those years, the Azerbaijani side also deliberately damaged the church itself. Tombstones bearing Armenian inscriptions and the khachkars in the surrounding areas were particularly shattered.

Tandzatap was one of the former Armenian settlements situated in the lower reaches of the Hakari River, forming part of the historical province of Kovsakan. During the Soviet era, Azerbaijani authorities initiated a systematic campaign to eradicate the tangible evidence of Armenian identity remaining in the province. This included the destruction of numerous religious structures, such as churches, chapels, and Armenian cemeteries. The last Armenian villages were depopulated during the 1960s. The process of displacing Armenian villagers and resettling the region with Azerbaijanis began in the 1930s with the formation of the Zangelan region, encompassing a significant portion of Kovsakan.

Before 1993, when the region was liberated, Azerbaijani authorities engaged in significant destruction of numerous monuments that bore witness to the Armenian heritage of the area. This included the demolition of churches, the neglect and deterioration of these structures, the erasure of Armenian inscriptions, and other forms of vandalism. It can be reasonably concluded that the destruction of the Tandzatap church represents a continuation of efforts to eradicate the remaining evidence of the Armenian identity in the region.

Our response

The deliberate destruction of the Tandzatap Church constitutes a violation of Article 8 of the Rome Statute and is regarded as a grave crime against humanity. The damage inflicted upon the church represents a "grave breach" under Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and Article 15(a) of the Second Protocol adopted in 1999. Consequently, this act can be prosecuted as a war crime in international courts.

The destruction of the Tandzatap Church can also be considered an act of genocide, given that the issue of genocide is now being examined in the context of attacks on cultural heritage (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 88). The Rome Statute's Manual on the Examination of Cultural Heritage Provisions states: "Crimes against or affecting cultural heritage are often linked to or committed as part of genocide" (ICC, Policy on Cultural Heritage, para. 78). The destruction of cultural heritage can cause serious psychological harm to individuals, thereby reinforcing the gravity and seriousness of acts of genocide under Article 6(b) of the Rome Statute.

Beyond the physical destruction, the demolition of the Tandzatap Church has had profound emotional and cultural repercussions for the affected community. This act is perceived as a blatant infringement upon the cultural rights of the Armenians of Artsakh and Armenians worldwide. The universal guarantee of cultural rights is established in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which states: "Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts, and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits." Furthermore, Article 4 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and Paragraph 4 of Human Rights Council Resolution 10/23 stipulate that no individual or entity may violate or limit the scope of human rights as guaranteed by international law.