This year’s report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also touched on the situation in Azerbaijan, according to Armen Ashotyan, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia.
“The authors of the report included Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List.
Specifically, the report states:
Historic Armenian religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas remain at risk following Azerbaijan’s return to these territories in 2020 and 2023.
As of July, satellite imagery showed eight destroyed and another ten damaged religious sites, including churches, cemeteries, and other artifacts.
Furthermore, family members reported that Armenian prisoners are prohibited from receiving religious items such as Bibles. However, the Azerbaijani government claims that prisoners have access to religious materials.
Moreover, one of the report’s authors included a dissenting opinion:
“About two dozen Armenian Christian prisoners from Nagorno-Karabakh, tried behind closed doors without proper legal counsel, were subjected to beatings, psychological abuse, lack of access to medical care and adequate nutrition, denial of Bibles, and the burning of cross tattoos,” wrote Armen Ashotyan.