On April 24th, the 111th anniversary of the Armenian genocide is commemorated. On this occasion, 97 French politicians from all sides, including Éric Ciotti, Bruno Retailleau, François Ruffin, and Clémentine Autain, are calling for the defense of international law and France’s full commitment to the Armenian cause in Nagorno-Karabakh.
111 years ago, the Ottoman Empire organized the extermination of the Armenian people. April 24, 1915, marked the beginning of a crime made possible by impunity and could be lost to oblivion. Remembering is not enough. This April 24, 2026, obliges us to face history, question our present, and draw lessons for the future.
The genocide of the Armenians does not only belong to the past; it serves as a lasting warning. When the law is powerless or subordinate to the state’s interest, civilian populations are no longer protected. The impunity enjoyed by its perpetrators set off a cycle that tragically played out in the 20th century.
As international balances become more fragile, international law remains essential but struggles to effectively protect peoples. The events in 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) are a distressing illustration: 120,000 Armenians were forced to flee their land after a blockade and military offensive. The erasure of a population, when not prevented or sanctioned, always sends a major warning signal.
France has acknowledged the Armenian genocide. This commitment of memory must now be translated into action. This is why we call on the government to take all political and diplomatic consequences from serious violations of international law, starting with those related to the forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.
This entails clearly qualifying the events of 2023, which cannot be reduced to a humanitarian crisis. Efforts must be made for targeted European sanctions against those responsible and to ensure effective rights such as the right to return, protection of civilians, and the preservation of heritage, which must become a priority of French and European diplomatic action in line with international commitments and decisions of the International Court of Justice. Lastly, it is necessary to demand the release of Armenian detainees in Baku, respecting fundamental rights and judicial guarantees.
The resolutions adopted by the Senate in 2024 and the National Assembly in 2026 must now be implemented. The defense of international law cannot be selective. When the law is neither applied nor defended consistently, it gives way to force. 111 years after the Armenian genocide, memory has meaning only when it leads to action.
[Context: The article discusses the commemoration of the Armenian genocide and the call for France to take more concrete action in response to the events in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Fact Check: The article provides a list of 97 French politicians from various political parties who are calling for stronger action in support of the Armenian cause.]
