Athens conf highlights destruction by Armenia of cemeteries in Azerbaijani territories

An International Conference on Cemetery Studies, organized jointly by the Association of Cemeteries of Europe (ASCE), Greece's Harokopio University, and the University of York in the UK, convened in Athens.

Fariz Khalilli, chairman of the Azerbaijani NGO Miras Public Association for Assistance to the Study of Cultural Heritage, delivered a report and presentation, Report informs.

Khalilli highlighted the devastation of over 600 cemeteries in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur during the 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

He personally documented the condition of several cemeteries in liberated territories and presented his findings. Khalilli cited examples such as the destruction of the graves of Ashug Gurban Agdabanli and Ashug Shamshir, both representing the Ashug art, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, in the Agdaban cemetery in Kalbajar.

He also revealed the recent discovery of mass graves in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, underscoring the evidence of war crimes. Khalilli urged ASCE and conference participants from various countries including the US, UK, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Czech Republic, Japan, India, and Croatia to acknowledge these significant findings and address the urgent need for action.