Attack on Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Cathedral a possible war crime – Human Rights Watch

Azerbaijani forces attacked a church in the city of Shushi on October 8, 2020 during the Nagorno Karabakh hostilities, in what appears to be a deliberate targeting in violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said.

“Two separate attacks, hours apart, on the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral on October 8 in the town of Shushi 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. Weapon remnants 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””, Human Rights Watch said.

“The two strikes on the church, the second one while journalists and other civilians had gathered at the site, appear to be deliberate,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “These attacks should be impartially investigated and those responsible held to account.”