French cities stand with Artsakh - Artsakh Union

ArmInfo.  The resolution of the Paris City Council, adopted on December 17, demanding the protection and immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war held in  Baku, is no coincidence and is part of a broader process, the Artsakh  Union reports.

"With this resolution, the Paris authorities officially reaffirmed  their commitment to the protection of the people of Artsakh and human  rights, as well as to respecting international law," the Union  emphasized.  The adopted resolution highlights that a group of  Armenian political, military, and civilian figures were captured and  are still being held in Baku following military actions initiated by  Azerbaijan between September 2020 and September 2023.

The Artsakh Union further noted that the Paris City Council's  initiative was also supported on December 17 in the French city of  Nice. According to the source, at the initiative of Mayor Christian  Estrosi, photos of twenty-three Armenian hostages were posted on the  facade of the city hall building to draw public attention to their  fate.

"In a statement  on social media, the mayor of Nice described the  Armenian prisoners of war as hostages and called on France and Europe  to take decisive steps against the Azerbaijani authorities," the  statement noted.

The Union expressed its conviction that these initiatives,  implemented simultaneously in Paris and Nice, are not coincidental,  but rather indicate a broader process. It is noted that,  many  communities and local governments in France have assumed moral and  political obligations. Thus, according to the source, they are  raising the issue of Armenian prisoners of war, especially in a  context where silence and inaction are observed at the international  political and diplomatic levels.

"These initiatives demonstrate the shared will of French society and  a significant portion of French politicians to remind that arbitrary  imprisonment, unfair trials without due process, and the destruction  of cultural heritage are gross violations of international  humanitarian law and fundamental human rights deserving condemnation,  regardless of the geopolitical power dynamics," the Artsakh Union  concluded.