PARIS — On September 2, the Armenian community and prominent figures from the French political and artistic worlds gathered on the steps of Paris City Hall in support of the 11 Armenian hostages being held in Azerbaijan. The event was organized by two representatives of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF), Ara Toranian and Mourad Papazian, demanding the immediate release of the eleven prominent figures from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) held captive by the Baku regime, with the support of the European Parliament, the French National Assembly and Senate, as well as the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
That same day, shortly before 10 a.m., even though Paris City Hall was scheduled to participate in the event, it was learned that City Hall representatives were forced to withdraw from the event due to threats.
Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire was called out on Twitter by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, who stated that: “Those convicted by the military court in Baku, including former leaders of the puppet regime in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, have been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity”( pic.twitter.com/GeD7FjHTir).
The following inquiry was addressed to the ambassador by the mayor after her statement, an excerpt of which is provided below:
“Madam Ambassador,
Your reaction to the exhibition opening today on the plaza in front of Paris City Hall calls for a few factual clarifications.
