After 30 years of occupation by Armenia, most of Karabakh was liberated by Azerbaijan in 2020. Much of the territory was devastated by war and restoration work, notably mine clearance, continues. The French photographer Gregory Herpe travelled to Karabakh after the liberation and an exhibition of his work has been held in the European Parliament in Brussels, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.

Gregory Herpe’s Karabakh photographs have drama in their bleakness, even beauty. Indeed, he told the large gathering drawn to the opening of the exhibition of his photographs in the European Parliament that even when his subject is the devastation of war, “it is important to take beautiful pictures that grab the attention of the audience”.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the European Union, Vaqif Sadiqov, said of the French photographer that “driven by a spirit of global citizenship, he went to heavily mined areas”. The resulting pictures were now being exhibited in the home of European democracy. The Ambassador added that what was depicted was not the best part of Azerbaijan’s life as a nation but “we don’t throw away pages from our history book”.

He recalled how Azeris had once been 20% of the population of Armenia but were ethnically cleansed, as were the Azeris in the occupied territories. Azerbaijan remained a country with over 20 minorities and three religions. But now what he called “a subtle, important negotiation process” was underway to normalise relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The exhibition’s opening was hosted by the Latvian MEP Andris Ameriks. He said he had visited Karabakh last year and seen with his own eyes the destroyed buildings and the minefields but also “the people rebuilding” after returning home following the liberation. The photographs, he added, will remain after the reconstruction is complete “as an historical reminder for future generations of the consequences of war”.

*Photographs are copyright Gregory Herpe.

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