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Azerbaijani forces have cynically desecrated and vandalized a 19th-century Armenian church in Artsakh’s Mataghis region controlled by them, a video shared by Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan on Facebook on Saturday shows.

“This is the 19th-century St. Yeghishe Armenian Church in Mataghis, Artsakh. In this video, the Azerbaijani soldiers (the Turkish flag is clearly visible on the uniform) cynically desecrate and vandalize the Armenian church, openly showing the deliberate insult to the church and knowing well that the church is Armenian,” Tatoyan wrote.

“In the video, they [the Azerbaijanis] say the following:

“Before entering the church: “Let’s now enter the church of these [referring to Armenians], where I have already performed namaz [Muslim prayer].”

“After entering the church: “This belongs to the Armenians, everything here belongs to the Armenians; we have torn them.”

“Obviously, this is an act of hatred both on ethnic and religious grounds. Moreover, it is not about a single case, but is a result of years of systematic policy of hatred and enmity in Azerbaijan, which continues today,” he said.

The ombudsman will present the case to the international institutions as yet another proof that a policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide was implemented against Armenians in Artsakh in September-November 2020.