The chair of the ICOMOS/Armenia office, Gagik Gyurjyan, told Aravot Daily in an interview that he appealed to the international ICOMOS office on October 2nd when Azerbaijan started a large-scale war with the support of Turkey. He appealed to the office with the concern that Artsakh and Armenia, both of which were subject to shelling, are full of cultural and historical monuments that are deliberately being targeted. The ICOMOS/Armenia office asked that the international ICOMOS speak out about the matter and appeal to the national offices of other countries about this issue. Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan joined the Hague Convention in 1954, which has to do with the protection of historical-cultural monuments during war.
“The convention bans any type of bombing in territories that have cultural monuments. However, Azerbaijan bombs Armenian monuments while ignoring all international norms. The ICOMOS/Armenia office asked the international ICOMOS to share our statement, and they asked us to send specific evidence, maps, and photographs of monuments so that political motives can be excluded. We immediately sent them a map that showed all the places in Vardenis and Artsakh where there are historical monuments. We also sent them evidence collected by Hamlet Petrosyan about the destruction of valuable artifacts near Tigranakert, Artsakh. That was very influential. They were surprised that there are so many monuments in Armenia and Artsakh. They also sent our materials to Blue Shield International, which monitors how the Hague Convention is upheld during war and how monuments are being protected.”
He continued, “The Blue Shield published our materials and voiced its complaints. That was until the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral was bombed. ICOMOS, as a member of the executive council of Blue Shield, shared the statement and completely supports it.”
Mr. Gyurjyan added that he sent ICOMOS additional materials regarding the bombing of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. “We said that this is something similar to what ISIS would do because they did this in Palmyra and other sites while destroying many monuments. This is the result of international organizations doing nothing besides making statements when Azerbaijanis destroyed the Armenian khachkars in Jugha. This is what happens when statements are made and no sanctions are imposed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture provided the materials,” Gagik Gyurjyan said.
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He added that ICOMOS/Armenia is the Armenian national committee of ICOMOS, which carries out its activities not only within the Republic of Armenia, but also outside of Armenia’s borders for all Armenian cultural monuments.
Gohar Hakobyan
