On May 24, it was reported that the World War II memorial in the village of Yemishjan, Martuni district, was destroyed by Azerbaijani forces. The news was shared via the “ararathau” Telegram channel and confirmed by Monument Watch, an organization monitoring cultural heritage in Artsakh.

According to the site, destruction of such monuments has notably intensified around May 9—the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II—and beyond.

Numerous WWII memorials have already been destroyed in other parts of Artsakh, including the Shushi complex, as well as monuments in the villages of Hadrut and Hakaku. Additionally, the Getavan memorial, the building of the Union of Freedom Fighters, and the khachkar (cross-stone) in Ukhtadzor dedicated to the Artsakh War have also been demolished.

Other monuments honoring Armenian heroes have also been damaged. In Mets Tagher, the bust of Marshal of Soviet Aviation Armenak Khanperyants (Sergey Khudyakov) and a MIG-17 fighter were destroyed. In Stepanakert, the bust of Admiral Ivan Isakov, a Hero of the Soviet Union and a noted naval theorist, was also targeted.

These actions constitute a clear violation of Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Second Protocol.

Furthermore, such destruction violates Rules 38–41 of International Humanitarian Law. The International Court of Justice has recognized that legal norms protecting cultural heritage in occupied territories have acquired the status of customary international law, binding on all states.

The 33rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 2003, adopted the Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage, which prohibits such conduct.