The Erasure of Armenia’s Christian Legacy in Artsakh
Gandzasar monastery, located in the town of Vank, Artsakh, was built in the 10th-13th centuries by Christian Armenians (Photo – Adam Jones)
In the shadow of ancient mountains where Christianity took root over a millennium ago, a silent catastrophe unfolds.
By William Paparian
Colorado Boulevard
Azerbaijan is systematically erasing the physical and spiritual legacy of Armenian Christians. Churches that have stood for centuries are being demolished, cemeteries bulldozed, and sacred sites repurposed or obliterated. And there is the ongoing unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, many subjected to torture and sham trials. These actions not only violate fundamental human rights but strike at the core of religious freedom. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) must urgently spotlight these atrocities and hold Azerbaijan accountable.
The destruction of Armenian Christian heritage in Artsakh is a deliberate and calculated effort to erase an entire people’s history and presence. Azerbaijan has targeted nearly 80 instances of Armenian historical, religious, and cultural sites, with the pace accelerating after the 2023 offensive that displaced over 120,000 ethnic Armenians. Satellite imagery from Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) reveals a 75% increase in destroyed sites, including churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and khachkars (ornate stone crosses). Such acts are not mere collateral damage but a state-sponsored campaign of cultural erasure, violating international norms on the protection of religious and cultural heritage during conflict, aimed at expunging evidence of Armenian Christian inhabitation.
Azerbaijan has also engaged in the persistent violation of human rights through the detention of Armenian POWs and civilians. As of February 2026, at least 19 Armenians remain unlawfully imprisoned in Baku, including former Artsakh leaders like Ruben Vardanyan, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on February 17, 2026, following a trial widely condemned as a travesty of justice by Amnesty International and others. These detainees endure torture, enforced disappearances, and degrading treatment, in breach of the Geneva Conventions. Reports from Human Rights Watch detail physical abuse, humiliation, and extrajudicial killings, with survivors describing years of isolation without legal defense. Even religious rights are curtailed: detainees are denied Bibles, religious symbols are confiscated, and their Christian identity invites harsher treatment. Over 80 Armenians remain missing, and the forced displacement of Artsakh’s population constitutes ethnic cleansing, as affirmed by international observers.
These intertwined abuses—cultural destruction and arbitrary detentions—directly undermine religious freedom, a cornerstone of USCIRF’s mandate. By spotlighting Azerbaijan’s actions, USCIRF can amplify calls for accountability, urging the U.S. Department of State to designate Azerbaijan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPA) under the International Religious Freedom Act. This would enable sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and support for investigations into war crimes. Broader human rights reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch corroborate these findings, documenting torture, restrictions on assembly, and impunity for conflict-related abuses.
The deliberate erasure of Armenian Christianity in this ancient cradle of faith accelerates unchecked, with sacred sites vanishing under bulldozers and detainees languishing in Baku’s prisons under sham verdicts that mock international law. USCIRF cannot wait: issue an emergency report, convene immediate hearings, and demand CPC designation now—before more churches fall, more lives are broken, and this cultural genocide is complete. U.S. policymakers must act decisively this very moment: press relentlessly for the unconditional release of all remaining detainees, halt the destruction through targeted sanctions, and enforce conditions on any normalization that protect religious heritage and human dignity. The flame of Armenian Christian faith in Artsakh flickers under threat of extinction. The time to act is not tomorrow; it is now, before history’s sacred echoes are silenced forever.
Former Pasadena Mayor William Paparian is a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and a Captain (CA) Judge Advocate with the California State Guard. The views expressed are his own and not those of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office or the California Military Department.
