Nice Calls for the Release of 20 Armenian Prisoners Held in Azerbaijan
French politician Éric Ciotti has called for the immediate and unconditional release of 20 Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, announcing a public initiative in Nice to draw attention to their continued detention.
Portraits of the 20 Armenian prisoners, decorated with ribbons in the colors of the Armenian flag, were displayed at the gates of Nice City Hall in a gesture of solidarity with those detained in Baku.
“Twenty Armenians, convicted on fictitious sentences, are still being held in Baku prisons. The Azerbaijani regime seeks to erase them from our memory. Today, together with the Armenian community of Nice, we demand their immediate and unconditional release,” Ciotti wrote on Facebook.
He also announced his intention to propose granting the 20 Armenian prisoners from Artsakh honorary citizenship of Nice.
“This is a powerful gesture demonstrating our solidarity with these people unjustly detained in Baku,” he stated, adding that “Nice will remain mobilized until their release.”
The initiative was welcomed by CDCA ANC France, which thanked the City of Nice and Éric Ciotti for once again drawing attention to the Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
In a social media post, the organization also referred to alleged Azerbaijani pressure aimed at preventing the display of Armenian prisoners’ portraits in Paris.
“Azerbaijan exerted pressure to prevent their faces from being displayed in Paris. We will display them in every city where we can,” CDCA ANC France stated.
The public display in Nice underscores continuing efforts to keep the issue of Armenian prisoners visible and to mobilize international support for their release.
Sources: Public statements by Éric Ciotti and CDCA ANC France.
