ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN OLD JUGA TURNS INTO MILITARY GROUND
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 16 2006
YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. The Armenian cemetery in Old Juga,
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan, does not exist any more and is being turned
into a military ground. The press and information department, RA
Foreign Office, reports that the last 3,500 out of 10,000 cross-stones
that had been preserved by December 2005 have now been completely
destroyed.
After clearing the territory, Azerbaijan turned it into a military
ground from March 2006.
Mass destruction of Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) was recorded
in Old Juga in 1998. After the vandalism was condemned by the
international community, it was stopped, but was resumed in 2003.
The last report on the destruction of Armenian monuments was provided
in December 2005.
The destruction of Armenian monuments was condemned by representatives
of PACE, European Parliament, UNESCO, and other international
organizations.
A PACE delegation is expected to visit Azerbaijan this spring to
examine the state of cultural values. P.T. -0–