201 Azerbaijani cemeteries destroyed in present-day Armenia, official says

A total of 201 cemeteries belonging to Azerbaijanis in present-day Armenia have been replaced by roads, residential buildings, industrial facilities, and agricultural land, according to Aziz Alakbarli, chairman of the Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC) and a member of Azerbaijan's parliament, Report informs.

In an interview with Xalq newspaper, Alakbarli said a comprehensive monitoring process of Azerbaijani cemeteries in Armenia has been completed through systematic analysis of archived military reconnaissance satellite images and modern high-resolution satellite data.

According to him, materials documenting 201 Muslim cemeteries located in villages abandoned during the last deportation, 37 years ago, have been published. The research analyzed declassified US military satellite imagery from the CORONA, Gambit, and Hexagon programs dating back to the second half of the 20th century, along with contemporary high-resolution satellite images. In total, 712 direct images and more than 2,000 satellite visuals were examined.

Alakbarli stated that the findings show all 201 cemeteries have been destroyed or repurposed. Specifically, asphalt roads were built over 12 cemeteries, residential houses over 16, and agricultural fields established on 56 sites. Acts of vandalism were recorded at 67 locations, while four sites were converted into industrial or production facilities.

He added that military fortifications were constructed on five cemeteries, construction work was carried out on 32 sites, six cemeteries were reused for burials and turned into Armenian cemeteries, and three locations were flooded for the construction of water reservoirs.