The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its annual report, reporting on the destruction of Armenian cultural and historical sites in Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
According to USCIRF, Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) provided new satellite documentation of threatened religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh. In June, CHW reported the destruction of additional Armenian religious sites, including a 19th-century church, two cemeteries, and other monuments.
“Additionally, in June, the American non-governmental organization Freedom House found that Azerbaijan had carried out a “comprehensive, systematic strategy to empty Nagorno-Karabakh of its ethnic Armenian population and historical and cultural presence” during military operations in 2020 and 2023, and concluded that Azerbaijan’s actions constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some Armenian prisoners of war were reportedly subjected to religious abuse, including verbal abuse, confiscation, and disruption of religious practices,” the report emphasizes.
In this regard, the agency recommended that the US government, in particular, impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government entities, facilitate a visit to Nagorno-Karabakh by an independent international observer, for example, from the United Nations (UN) to Nagorno-Karabakh and Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories to inspect and document the inventory of cultural and religious heritage.
In addition, USCIRF recommends holding hearings in the US Congress on the issue of religious freedom in Azerbaijan.
