At PACE, Armenian MP alleges 'cultural genocide' in Nagorno-Karabakh, cites church's destruction
An Armenian opposition lawmaker has accused Azerbaijan of conducting a “cultural genocide” in Nagorno-Karabakh, alleging the destruction of historical sites, cemeteries and churches in the region. Speaking at a plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Hayk Mamidjanyan said satellite imagery indicates the St.
Mary (Surb Astvatsatsin) Church in Stepanakert was destroyed between March and April this year. Mamidjanyan, who leads the “I Have Honor” faction in Armenia’s National Assembly, delivered his remarks on April 24, the day marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Framing his speech around the protection of Armenians, he argued that in 2023 Armenians faced “a grave crime against humanity” in Nagorno-Karabakh and described the mass departure from the region as ethnic cleansing. According to him, more than 100,000 Armenians were forced to leave their homes, and more than 60 people died on the road to Armenia—evidence he said contradicts claims that the exodus was voluntary.
He acknowledged that international bodies, including PACE, have passed resolutions condemning the events but said such steps have not stopped ongoing abuses. Mamidjanyan said the precise date of the Stepanakert church’s destruction could not be established because, according to him, Azerbaijan has refused to allow a UNESCO monitoring mission into the territory, leaving satellite imagery as the only available evidence.
He characterized the situation as unfolding “right now,” with heritage sites, monuments and churches being destroyed or vandalized. He further alleged that Azerbaijan continues to hold 19 Armenian compatriots in prisons in Baku, occupies more than 200 square kilometers of Armenia’s territory, and withholds information about more than a hundred people who have been missing since 2020.
“There is no excuse for us,” he told PACE, criticizing what he described as international inaction. “I refuse to believe that one dictator can be more powerful than the entire civilized world.” Mamidjanyan concluded with a defiant message addressed to those who consider Armenians their enemy: “You have failed—I am alive.”