The Surp Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi was damaged by Azerbaijani attack
BERLIN–Azerbaijani forces attacked a church in the city of Shushi on October 8 during the Nagorno-Karabakh hostilities, in what appears to be a deliberate targeting in violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.
Two separate attacks, hours apart, on the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral on October 8 in the town of Shushi, also known as Shusha, suggest that the church, a civilian object with cultural significance, was an intentional target despite the absence of evidence that it was used for military purposes. Remnants of the weapon Human Rights Watch collected at the site corroborate the use of guided munitions. President Ilham Aliyev said that the church could have been targeted only by mistake and was “not among military targets.” The attacks took place while Armenian forces still controlled the city. Azerbaijani forces regained control of the city on November 8, having lost it in hos