Photograph: A Cross-Stone Destroyed in the Village of Kyuratagh, Hadrut Region of Artsakh

A cross-stone has been destroyed in the village of Kyuratagh in the Hadrut region of Artsakh. This information was reported by the Telegram channel Баграмян 26.

On July 9, 2023, a photograph circulated in the media showing the destroyed cross-stone erected in 2014 in memory of the victims of the Artsakh war, located in the Kyuratagh village of the Hadrut region currently occupied by Azerbaijan.

In the photograph, a young Azerbaijani can be seen sitting atop the fallen base of the cross-stone, making a gesture associated with the Gray Wolves, which has also been widely used by Turkish-Azerbaijani military forces during the 44-day war. The fate of the monument dedicated to the victims of the Great Patriotic War located next to the cross-stone remains unknown.

Any actions by Azerbaijan towards the destruction and appropriation of Armenian cultural values are prohibited by numerous conventions accepted by UNESCO and the Council of Europe, as well as by provisions of the International Court of Justice and other documents.