On November 8, 2024, Azerbaijani Telegram channels circulated photographs and videos of the "We Are Our Mountains" monument in the occupied city of Stepanakert. The footage reveals that the rear of the monument is adorned with numerous inscriptions, predominantly consisting of the names, surnames, and places of origin of Azerbaijanis who have visited the site. The content of these posts is derisive and disparaging toward Armenians and Armenia (https://t.me/bez_tor/56684?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR020wZXNdTj9Ysb2LnMxXetEhX_ppf0ytX8plmsg7Wbr4Frymo-szD2O3w_aem_uzmJO9TurxtNvujCjmIz7Q).

Video evidence indicates that the area surrounding the monument has sustained damage. Concurrently, the Azerbaijani propaganda apparatus is advancing a new thesis: despite the monument's construction with Azerbaijani financial resources, it has "become a symbol of Armenian separatism" and should be dismantled.

The Azerbaijani government does not prohibit its citizens from visiting Stepanakert to inscribe various messages on the monument. Furthermore, the government is actively facilitating discussions that advocate for the monument's demolition.

Our response

The 1954 Hague Convention prohibits acts of vandalism and desecration against the "We Are Our Mountains" monument. According to Article 4 of the Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, "States are obligated to respect cultural property belonging to both themselves and others, refraining from any acts of hostility, desecration, destruction, and retaliation" (Hague, 14 May 1954, Article 4).

The Council of Europe Convention on Architectural Heritage, to which Azerbaijan has been a member since 2010, is a legally binding instrument that obligates its parties to protect and preserve the world's architectural heritage (see the full list at the Treaty Office (coe.int)). Article 4 of the Convention requires parties to avoid any action that would result in the distortion or destruction of architectural heritage values.

Furthermore, on December 7, 2021, the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled that the desecration of Armenian monuments is prohibited. By this ruling, Azerbaijan is obliged to implement all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration against Armenian cultural heritage. This encompasses but is not limited to, churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries, and artifacts (International Court of Justice, Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan), 7 December 2021, No. 2021/34).

In addition, on March 12, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution emphasizing the need for closer ties between the European Union and Armenia and advocating for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In its 19th point, the resolution condemns the destruction of all historical and cultural sites documenting the centuries-old Armenian presence, as well as cases of vandalism and desecration (https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2024/2580(RS)).

Furthermore, the French Senate resolution adopted on January 17, 2024, also condemned the destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh's cultural heritage, further denouncing Azerbaijan's actions (https://westernarmeniatv.com/en/politics_wa/the-text-of-the-resolution-of-the-french-senate-on-artsakh/).

In its 2023 Report on the Implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the European Parliament, in point 77, calls for the protection of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh by UNESCO standards and Azerbaijan's international obligations. This demand was made on 28 February 2024 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0104_EN.html).