Azeri body accuses Armenians of “destroying” historical monuments

Assa-Irada
16 May 05

Baku, 16 May: The organization for the protection of historical and
cultural monuments on the occupied Azerbaijani territories gave a
news conference at the international press centre [in Baku] on 16
May to mark the anniversary of the occupation of Lacin District. The
chairman of the organization, Famil Ismayilov, spoke about the work
done to protect historical monuments on the occupied territories. He
told the news conference that the organization had appealed to the
European Union and the Council of Europe in connection with the
occupation of Lacin District (on 18 May 1992).

Armenians are destroying ancient historical and cultural monuments on
the occupied Azerbaijani territories; they are distorting history by
changing inscriptions on monuments of the period of Caucasian Albania
and are selling artefacts from the occupied lands in various world
markets, presenting them as pieces of their own culture and art. By
doing this, they violated the 1954 Hague Convention [for the protection
of cultural property in the event of armed conflict], the appeal
said. A total of 762 monuments of architecture and archaeology were
destroyed on the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the appeal said.

The organization demanded that the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace talks
be speeded up and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity be restored in
line with international laws.