On January 27 the Working Group Recognition- Against Genocide, For
International Understanding organized a meeting in front of the embassy of
Azerbaijan in Berlin. Here we present the text of the flyer published for that
meeting.

Cultural Genocide in the 21st Century

Who is the perpetrator?

The Republic of Azerbaijan. During the past decades the government of
Azerbaijan has been destroying and razing to ground all Armenian monuments
that existed inside its territory, in spite of the fact that becoming a
member of the UNESCO and The Council of Europe they had undertaken to
protect all minorities and their heritage in their territory. The Cultural
Genocide perpetrated by Azerbaijan far exceeds the destruction of the Bamian
Buddhas by the Talibans in Afghanistan.

Where is the site of this deed?

In the Autonomous Region of Nakhjevan in the territory of the Republic of
Azerbaijan. This area which was populated by majority of Armenians was systematically depopulated of
its ethnic peoples between 1919 and 1922 and by 1988/89 only 2000 to 4000 Armenians
remained.

What is the crime?

The murdered and expelled Armenians left behind a huge number of cultural
monuments in Nakhjevan such as churches, chapels as well as finely carved unique
type of tombstones, called Khachkars. Many of these monuments withstood natural
calamities such as earthquakes and floods as well as other destructive forces
and armies. They eventually fell victim to modern-day nationalism. In the period
between 1998 and 2002 Azerbaijan destroyed and covered up all Armenian monuments
existing in the territory of Nakhjevan. In the middle of December 2005, two
hundred members of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces proceeded to break up and
destroy the tombstones of the historical Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, which
represented the most significant collection of Armenian large Khachkars. The
Azeri action of 2005 destroyed every monument that had so far endured and was
the culmination of the destruction of St John’s Church in Abrakunis (Sourb
Karapet - built in 1381), as well as the numerous churches of Agoulis, Chanegha,
Ilandagh (Odzasar), Hatsi Sar and Shorot.

WE DEMAND THAT: THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND UNESCO DEMAND THEIR MEMBER STATE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN NAKHJEVAN.

V.i.S.d.P., Working Group, Marsstrasse 14b, 80355 München – RAA Aachen/Yerevan –
January 2006  

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flyer with photoes

This article in
Armenian