According to the videos posted online in February 2025, Azerbaijani forces have inflicted significant damage to several gravestones in the Stepanakert memorial complex, reports Monument Watch.
Specifically, stone flower vases placed near the gravestones have been broken, and pavement stones have been removed. The footage also shows damage to the gravestones of some participants of the 44-day war in 2020.
"However, it is important to note that the tombstones, their inscriptions, and images of the soldiers remain intact.
While Azerbaijani authorities have not yet intervened in the structure of the memorial, it continues to be a target of vandalism and faces the threat of destruction," the report states.
The desecration of the Stepanakert memorial is not only an act of cultural intolerance but also a blatant violation of international law.
The destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, including the desecration of cemeteries, is explicitly prohibited by the International Court of Justice's ruling of December 7, 2021. According to this decision, Azerbaijan is obligated to take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism against Armenian cultural heritage. This ruling applies not only to churches and places of worship but also to monuments, historical sites, cemeteries, and cultural landmarks.
Additionally, on March 12, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening EU-Armenia relations and the necessity of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Clause 19 of the resolution condemns acts of destruction, vandalism, and desecration of Armenian historical and cultural heritage.
*The desecration of cemeteries is also considered a war crime under Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute, which states that deliberate attacks on religious, educational, cultural, and historical sites, when not serving military purposes, constitute war crimes.
These actions by Azerbaijan also directly violate Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention, which mandates respect for cultural property and prohibits its destruction or use for military purposes.*
