Member of the French National Assembly Dino Cinieri has quit the France-Azerbaijan Friendship group.  

“As the Armenians celebrate Christmas and the great hope that this feast of peace brings, I see with horror that Azerbaijan is martyring and torturing Armenian soldiers and civilians in the worst possible way,” the MP said in a statement as he announced the decision.

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan earlier reported new cases of torture of Armenian soldiers. In one case the Azerbaijani servicemen demanded that an Armenian soldier renounce Christianity and convert to Islam. After the Armenian soldier refused to obey, his legs were burned, he was severely beaten and humiliated.

In another case, Azerbaijanis burned the cross-shaped tattoo on the body of a captured soldier with a lighter.

“These barbaric practices are unbearable and unworthy of a member country of the Council of Europe and of a regime that sits within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.,” he added.

Mr. Cinieri noted that “by invading Artsakh on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan wanted us to believe that it was a simple territorial issue.”

“I decide to resign from the France-Azerbaijan Friendship group, so as not to endorse hateful practices which clearly reveal a desire to destroy a people, its culture and its faith. 106 years after the genocide that aimed to exterminate the Armenians, history repeats itself. There can be no friendship with torturers,” Dino Cinieri stated.

https://en.armradio.am/2022/01/12/there-can-be-no-friendship-with-torturers-french-mp-quits-frienshship-group-with-azerbaijan/