International Council of Museums
National Committee of Azerbaijan

Statement on the protection of the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan on its liberated territories

 

Following 44 days of fight, Azerbaijan achieved victory and liberated all of its occupied territories. On November 10, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end the fighting and work towards a comprehensive resolution. 
While Armenians are leaving the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, the fact of illegal transportation of Azerbaijan’s tangible cultural heritage by the aggressor state Armenia has been revealed. Azerbaijan’s valuable archaeological materials retrieved as a result of illegal excavations are barbarously robbing and transporting from the Agdam Museum in the Agdam district of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Armenia. It has also been confirmed that archeological materials from Shahbulag, the 18th-century fortress near Agdam were illegally taken to Armenia. 
These illegal activities by Armenia considered war crimes are open disrespect and disobedience to international law and violation of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
We kindly ask international organizations, especially UNESCO and ICOM, to give a legal assessment of this illicit trafficking of cultural property and request your assistance in handling these illegal acts. 

 

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