The international organization for the protection of Caucasian heritage (Caucasus Heritage Watch) warns against the destruction of the Armenian church in the Hadrut region of occupied Artsakh, which proves the violation of the decision of the international tribunal of Nations United. In the summer of 2022, Caucasus Heritage Watch recorded the almost complete destruction of the village of Mokhrenes in the Hadrut region, which came under the control of Azerbaijan after the 44-day war of 2020. Among the destroyed structures was also the Armenian Church of Saint Sargis in Mokhrenes, built in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, as mentioned in the publication, the demolition of the St. Sargis Church was apparently not the last step in terms of Azerbaijani intervention, since the organization documented evidence of further construction work during its monitoring continuous.

The organization reminds that Baku is obliged to protect Armenian cultural heritage and prevent any attempts to erase centuries-old Armenian cultural and religious life in Mokhrenes. Recall that on December 7, 2021, the International Court of Justice made a decision obliging Baku to “take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration targeting Armenian cultural heritage, including churches and other places of worship, monuments, memorials, against cemeteries and artifacts.”