- The Rights Union for NK Refugees released a statement on May 9.
- They condemned destruction and alteration of Armenian monuments in Shushi.
- A mosque was built in 2021 on the site of a former memorial complex.
- Memorials including Vazgen Sargsyan’s statue and the Brotherhood Cemetery were damaged.
- The Union raised concerns about violations of displaced Armenians’ cultural and educational rights.
New mosque construction and monument removal in Shushi draw concern
The Rights Union for Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees issued a statement on May 9, condemning Azerbaijan’s transformation of Shushi’s cultural landscape following the 2020 war.
According to the statement, in May 2021, a mosque was built on a hilltop in Shushi at the location where a memorial once stood commemorating the Armenian Genocide, the Artsakh Liberation War, and World War II.
Historic procession route disrupted by structural changes
The Union recalled that during the independence period, a traditional May 9 march started from Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square, passing through the Brotherhood Cemetery, the legendary Tank Memorial, and the statue of Vazgen Sargsyan in Shushi.
The route’s landmarks have been systematically removed or damaged. Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square was renamed “Victory Square of Khankendi” in March 2024 by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The Tank Memorial, a symbol of the city’s liberation in 1992, has reportedly been destroyed.
Call for attention to cultural rights and displacement issues
The statement emphasized that these actions constitute violations of the cultural, educational, and dignity rights of forcibly displaced Armenian populations.
The Union urged the international community to recognize the ongoing transformation of Shushi’s heritage as a rights issue requiring attention and accountability.
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Source: Rights Union for Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees