Azerbaijani forces have desecrated and vandalized the 17th-century Yerits Mankants Monastery in Artsakh, according to the cultural preservation group Artsakh Monuments.
“A video shows that church models previously placed on the altar are missing, as is the khachkar (carved cross-stone) that stood against the Holy Table. The lower part of the ornately carved khachkar has been smashed and now lies on the ground.
A sculpture previously located in the right-hand wall niche is now seen face down. The post includes photos taken before and after the occupation,” the group reported.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has also raised alarm over the systematic destruction of Armenian religious and cultural heritage in Artsakh. The Commission has urged the U.S. government and Congress to take concrete actions, including imposing targeted sanctions on Azerbaijan and permitting independent international observers, such as UN representatives, to access Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas to document and verify the condition of religious and cultural sites. USCIRF has also recommended holding hearings in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
