The Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) has made a high-confidence assessment that a centuries-old Armenian cemetery north of Shushi town  in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has been partially destroyed. The Organisation has shared satellite imagery on its Twitter, showing a portion of the grounds on the western side of a road leading into the city was leveled in the construction of a building complex.

It is noted that the expansive cemetery, which spans both sides of the road, contained 96 tombstones dating 1834-1920 and two 12-13th c. cross stones (khachkars), including the tombs of noble Armenian families (Meliks). Although the construction occurred in an area shaded by tree cover, imagery from Feb 2021 reveals a dense array of tombstones, and documentation provided by Monument Watch, in Yerevan, details specific plots in the location.Neither the number of damaged tombs nor the affected plots can be determined with available data, the source said.  

CHW calls on UNESCO to directly assess the extent of the damage and preserve the historic site.