The Azerbaijani authorities are inciting religious enmity at the state level, accusing Armenians of Islamophobia with "absolute falsehood", Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Sunday, February 6.

"Historical facts prove the respect of our people, as well as the respect of the Armenian Church for Islam and other religions, starting from the countries with Islam. With many peoples of the Islamic world Armenians have lived as friends for centuries," Tatoyan said.

"This policy of the Azerbaijani authorities incites hostility towards Armenians living in countries where they profess Islam. This incites enmity between nations.

Tatoyan reminded that in Artsakh, the Upper and Inner Mosques of Shushi remained standing and preserved, the Upper Mosque and the building of the madrasa, a caring school, were completely renovated, and a park was built. There is a functioning mosque in Yerevan he added.

"Instead, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed and desecrated the Ghazanchetsots and Kanach Zham churches in Shushi, destroyed the Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Mekhakavan in Artsakh, or desecrated the St. Yeghishe Church in Mataghis, destroyed Armenian khachkars in Shush, Hadrut. The St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Baku has been desecrated, turned into a library archive, the cross has been lowered from the dome, there is no tabernacle, the tombstones that were adjacent to the church have been destroyed," he said.

"Currently, everything is being done at the state level to change the affiliation of Armenian churches and monasteries. This policy is already manifested in the new forms of torture of Armenian captives with regard to their religion."

Tatoyan's statement came after Azerbaijan’s government announced that it intends to erase Armenian inscriptions on religious sites in the territory that it reclaimed in the 2020 war with Armenia.