In a phone conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Christian monasteries left at the Armenian occupied territories will be preserved after their withdrawal. He also added that Azerbaijani nationals with Christian faith will enjoy access to those religious places.
At least two monasteries, one in Shusha, the second largest city of Nagorno-Karabakh, another in Kalbajar, an occupied adjacent district to be vacated by Armenians, are affected by recent developments. Shusha has been captured by the Azeri troops as a result of fighting which flared up since September between Azerbaijan and Armenians over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
An image circulated in social media and published by Armenian media shows a graffiti supposedly on the wall of a church rebuilt by Armenians in Shusha, when the city was under their occupation. The city is of historical and cultural importance both for Azeris and Armenians. Before the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh erupted, Shusha was a place with mostly Azeri population with Armenian minority.
Even some pro-Turkish Azeri nationalist social media users with deep hatred towards Armenians, denounced attacks against the churches on the territories captured from Armenians in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Dadevank monastery, located in Kalbajar and to be passed to Azerbaijani control is also a subject of concern for Armenians. According to Armenian media, the Russian troops recently arrived in the region as peacekeepers, have established a military post next to the church to guard it. It was not immediately clear if this is temporary measure or for good, as Kalbajar should be handed back to Azerbaijan according to the ceasefire with Armenia.
Hikmat Hajiyev, aide of the President of Azerbaijan, also said that withdrawal date of Armenian troops and illegally settled population from Kalbajar has been extended until November 25, at the request of Armenian side. He added that Armenia asked it through Russia, citing more time needed as a road used for evacuation military and population has limited capacity for fast movement.
Armenians should pull out of other occupied districts, Agdam and Lachin by November 20 and December 1, respectively.
Some Armenians residents have set houses and facilities in Kalbajar on fire, not let upcoming Azeris to use them. Kalbajar, as well as other seven districts of Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenians almost had no Armenian population before. Especially Lachin and Kalbajar had been heavily settled with Armenian population brought from abroad by separatist authorities.
Clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenians in Nagorno-Karabaksh flared up since September 27 and lasted for 44 days ending with Azerbaijani victory. According to the armistice signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia with Russian mediation, Armenians must leave the rest of the occupied territories after they lost four of them and strategic city Shusha in the conflict. Several Armenian populated villages within Nagorno-Karabakh were also captured by the Azerbaijani army.
Armenians kept only Khankendi (Stepanakert in Armenian) and several other towns of the region guarded by the Russian peacekeepers moved in the region and stationed along with contact line between them and Azeri troops.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan, which had been ruled by the Armenian separatists since hostilities erupted from 1988 and resulted with ceasefire in 1994.
