In a joint declaration marking the anniversary of the mass displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population, 31 members of France’s National Assembly and Senate stressed the need to hold perpetrators accountable for ethnic cleansing, ensure the safe return of displaced persons, and secure the release of Armenian prisoners.
The MPs warned against ignoring the consequences of Artsakh’s forced depopulation and called for the protection of Armenian detainees’ rights.
The French parliamentarians called on the French government and European institutions to resist diplomatic indifference and reaffirmed several principles, including the “immediate release of all Armenian prisoners illegally held by Azerbaijan, including former political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
The statement was signed by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, including Joëlle Avirane, Catherine Belrhiti, Guy Benarroche, Véronique Besse, Étienne Blanc, François Bonneau, Valérie Boyer, Xavier Breton, Bernard Buis, Ghislain Cambier, Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Paul Christophe, Pierrick Courbon, Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, Philippe Gosselin, Béatrice Gosselin, Emmanuel Grégoire, Michel Herbillon, Annick Jacquemet, Yannick Jadot, Laurent Lardi, Emmanuel Mandon, Alexandra Martin, Thierry Meignen, Jean-François Portarrieu, Richard Ramos, Isabelle Santiago, Marc Séné, Anne Saury, Aurélien Taché, and Rachid Temal.