During and after the war unleashed against Artsakh by Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, various videos were published in the Azerbaijani domain of social networks, where Azerbaijani military were desecrating, breaking and destroying the tombstones of Armenian cemeteries, including both the victims of the First Artsakh War and civilians.
This fact is also proved by the Russian journalist Kirill Krivosheev, who visited the occupied village of Talish after the war. He wrote that the khachkars and the memorials to the victims of the First Artsakh War were mostly destroyed.
It also matters to record the fact that most of the memorials to the Dead of the World War II were also vandalized.
Desecration of monuments and graves of Artsakh war participants
Azerbaijani desecrated the memorial to the victims of the First Artsakh War in Madatashen village of Askeran region of Artsakh Republic.
Azerbaijanis also desecrated the monument to freedom fighters in Aknaghbyur village of Askeran region.
The head of Artsakh’s Taghavard community Oleg Harutyunyanstatedthat the enemy destroyed the graves of the victims of the First Artsakh War in Taghavard as well.
“The Russian peacekeepers who are to visit in the coming days to see what happened in person, have been informed about the fact, which once again confirms the atrocities of the enemy,”- said Oleg Harutyunyan.
Vandalism against Armenian cemeteries
Several other manifestations of desecration of Armenian cemeteries by Azeris.
The Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) also alerted about Azerbaijani vandalism in the occupied territories of Artsakh. Based on the satellite image presented by the group, the cemetery of Mets Tagher village was completely destroyed.:
The cemetery of Mets Tagher village was founded in the early 19 th century and was in use until the occupation by Azerbaijan during the war in 2020.