Armenian Church condemns Azerbaijan's destruction of church in Karabakh

St. James Church in Stepanakert, whose destruction was condemned by the Armenian Church. Photo: Pastinfo

On April 23, 2026, the Armenian Apostolic Church stated that Azerbaijani authorities had destroyed St. James Church and other monuments in Stepanakert, Karabakh, Pastinfo reported.

In a statement, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin said the church and monuments had been demolished under the pretext of removing “illegal structures.” It also voiced concern over reports of the destruction of the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Theotokos in Stepanakert.

The Church stressed that it views what is happening as the deliberate destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage. “This act of vandalism, carried out at the state level, testifies to the unchanged anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan,” the statement said.

Etchmiadzin noted that such actions call into question claims of a desire to establish lasting peace with Armenia.

The Armenian Apostolic Church urged the Armenian authorities to take urgent measures to prevent the further destruction of cultural heritage and appealed to the international community to respond to what is happening.

Earlier, the UOJ reported on the destruction of religious sites in Stepanakert, including cases confirmed by satellite imagery.

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