European Court to Hear Djulfa Case
The European Court for Human Rights will reportedly hear a case on Azerbaijan’s December 2005 deliberate destruction of the medieval Armenian cemetery.
Russian-language Armenia Today was told about the development by Samvel Karapetyan, who heads a non-profit organization that studies Armenian architecture.
According to Karapetyan, the National Council of Western Armenians is suing the Republic of Azerbaijan’s for demolishing Djulfa, the world’s largest surviving medieval Armenian cemetery.
As of November 30, 2008, nonetheless, the website for the European Court for Human Rights makes no mention of the case.
ICOMOS Adopts Resolution on Djulfa
From Asbarez.com:
QUEBEC–The issue of the desecration of Armenian graves and monuments in Julfa was introduced during the conference of International Council on Monuments and Sites earlier this month by the head of the Armenian delegation Gagik Gurjian and as a result a resolution of was adopted urging the Azeri government to ease restriction for international monitoring groups from UNESCO and ICOMOS to conduct fact-finding missions.
“We presented the desecration of Armenian monuments in Julfa at the largest forum of professionals for the preservation of historic and heritage sites, which adopted a resolution,” said Gurjian.
“As a signatory to international treaties on cultural and environmental protection, Azerbaijan must be sensitized to the desecration of monuments in Julfa and must be notified of the concerns by international heritage and monument protection experts,” added the resolution.
ICOMOS is an association of professionals throughout the world that currently bring together over 7500 members
ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organization of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage. Its work is based on the principles enshrined in the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter).
ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners.
The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and the techniques for each type of cultural heritage property : buildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes and archaeological sites.
Djulfa Blog: Sacred Stones Reduced to Dust 