The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2026 annual report, condemned Azerbaijan’s ongoing destruction of the Armenian historical and religious heritage of Artsakh.

This was reported by the publication Voice of Armenia.

Against this backdrop, USCIRF recommended that the US government keep Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List and impose targeted sanctions against state institutions and officials responsible for serious violations of religious freedom.

The US Congress was also advised to restrict military assistance to Azerbaijan by linking it to the protection of religious heritage, respect for religious freedoms, and improvements in the human rights situation. The authors of the report note that after establishing control over the territories in 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan has continued its policy of destroying Armenian religious sites.

According to satellite data, as of July 2025, eight completely destroyed and another ten damaged religious sites had been identified, including churches, cemeteries, and other cultural monuments.

USCIRF emphasized that Baku is effectively erasing the traces of more than two thousand years of Christian presence in the region. The report also states that Armenian religious monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories continue to face an immediate threat of further destruction.

In addition, the commission reports that Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons, according to testimony from relatives, are prohibited from receiving religious items, including the Bible.

USCIRF concluded that Azerbaijan must take genuine steps to protect religious freedom if it expects to maintain a full strategic partnership with the United States.