Document
Esteemed Presidium of the Conference,
Beloved Participants,
We greet you all and extend our blessings to each of you.
It is symbolic that this conference convenes in Switzerland—a country where human rights and freedoms are upheld and protected as universal values, enshrined in the international conventions and declarations signed here.
We bring our appreciation to the Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, to the Rev. Rita Famos, President of the Protestant Church in Switzerland, to the honourable leadership of the WCC as well as to all the organizers and supporters of this conference, whose sincere efforts have once again made it possible for the international community to hear about the challenges our people face following the occupation of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
Dear participants of the conference,
We have gathered here today to address the critical issue of preserving the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh, a heritage rooted in centuries of history. We are called to seek ways to prevent the further appropriation and destruction of sacred sites created by the Armenians of Artsakh.
In the 21st century—an era that should have been marked by the triumph of peace, harmony, and justice in the lives of nations and states—we instead witness genocidal acts and ethnic cleansing carried out under the banners of war, hatred, and hostility. We are witnessing condemnable violations of religious freedom and fundamental human rights. Our own people have suffered such calamities, as Azerbaijan, with military support from Turkey, waged aggression and committed atrocities against Artsakh.
Since the launch of the 44-day war in 2020, followed by large-scale military operations in 2023, Artsakh has been entirely occupied and forcibly depopulated of its Armenian population. Azerbaijan has also seized strategically vital border territories of the Republic of Armenia and continues to impose new demands in the peace negotiations. It is currently holding hostage the political leaders of Artsakh, along with civilians and prisoners of war, subjecting them to show trials in blatant violation of international legal standards.
These unlawful and degrading acts are clearly motivated by ethnic hatred and anti-Armenian sentiment. They are the very reasons for Azerbaijan’s continued assaults on the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage and its sacred historical sites.
For centuries, the Armenians of Artsakh have lived with dignity in their ancestral land, enriched the cultural treasury of humanity through their faith and national identity, and contributed to the arts and scholarship. According to a report submitted during the early Soviet period by Bishop Vrtanes, then-Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, there were 18 monasteries and 112 churches, more than 4,000 khachkars (cross-stones), and other cultural monuments registered within the territory.
Yet following occupation of Artsakh, we witness with deep sorrow the continued barbaric destruction of ancient Armenian monuments, Christian holy sites, settlements, and cemeteries. With a policy aimed at erasing identity, Azerbaijan falsely declares prominent Armenian monasteries and churches to be part of Caucasian Albanian heritage.
Furthermore, Azerbaijani authorities continue to ignore international calls for preservation, have refused to implement the demands of the European Parliament’s 2022 Resolution No. 2582 on “The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.” They have also rejected UNESCO’s initiative to conduct a fact-finding mission to assess the condition of Armenian monuments in Artsakh.
In support of this anti-Armenian propaganda, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, head of the Caucasus Muslims Office, recently made blatantly false statements.
This very same pattern of destruction was seen earlier in Nakhichevan, where Armenian sacred sites were violently obliterated. In 2005, approximately 6,000 khachkars were razed to the ground in the ancient Armenian cemetery of Old Jugha. The world has also borne witness to similar cultural genocides in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, where ancient cultural landmarks were reduced to ruins amid the horrors of war.
Cultural crimes recognize no borders. They occur wherever human and national rights are violated, wherever intolerance and hatred are sown, and wherever the sacred value of spiritual heritage is ignored. The destruction of cultural heritage must rightly be seen not only as a crime against a single nation but as a crime against all of humanity.
The impunity of such barbaric crimes fosters a climate of lawlessness—not only enabling Azerbaijan to continue its acts of cultural vandalism but also encouraging similar or even more heinous crimes to take place elsewhere in the world. Therefore, the protection of cultural values is not only a sacred duty, but an imperative for preserving the history, faith, and identity of all peoples and nations.
Honored participants of the conference,
The question of preserving the spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage of Artsakh is more urgent than ever. The people of Artsakh, forcibly displaced, are now deprived of the right to live and create on their ancestral land, to preserve and develop the culture they forged through centuries of faith. In today’s world, such horrific crimes against humanity must not be tolerated. Actions that undermine the foundations of freedom, justice, and the rule of law must be firmly condemned.
Indeed, conflicts between nations must be resolved peacefully, with justice, mutual understanding, and with respect for national identity and dignity
Beloved,
We highly value the convening of conferences such as this, and we express our hope that the internationally influential countries and competent organizations will take active steps to ensure:
– the preservation of Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage,
– the secure return of the Armenians of Artsakh to their native homeland,
– the restoration of their just right to live freely and with dignity,
– and the prompt release of our captive children.
We once again express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the sister churches and ecumenical organizations for their unwavering support of our people and Church in these trying times, and for their committed advocacy in defense of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh.
With prayerful intercession to God, we once again extend Our blessing and thanks to the organizers and participants of this conference, and wish you a fruitful and successful gathering.
His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
