BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. French television broadcasts Armenian nationalist propaganda, which can be seen as misleading and an attempt to influence viewers, an article published by the French online publication La Gazette du Caucase reads, Trend reports.
The article highlights provocative statements against Azerbaijan on the France 2 TV channel during the Paris Olympic Games' opening.
The material notes that on July 26, during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, a reporter from France 2 demonstrated bias during the parade of Azerbaijani and Armenian athletes. The reporter accused Azerbaijan of clashes with Armenia, called Armenia a friend of France, and remarked that this year was significant for the Armenian people due to "the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Azerbaijani army".
“What a shame! Two million viewers were misled. They ignored the fact that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, a reality recognized by all countries, including France. They wanted people to forget about the destruction of Azerbaijani cities by Armenian occupiers and the expulsion of 1 million of Azerbaijanis from their lands. The worst part is that this occurred on the national TV channel, considered "the voice of France".
French sportsman, public figure, historian, teacher, and writer Pierre de Coubertin said the sport should silence politics and the conflicts it generates while the Olympic flame is shining. However, it seems that the national television of France did not heed the call of the initiator of the modern Olympic Games," the article says.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan sent an official letter of protest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the incident. The letter states that the disrespectful attitude of the state TV channel towards Azerbaijan is a clear violation of the Olympic Charter. Such propaganda contradicts the spirit of the Games and undermines peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Consequently, the IOC was asked to take a firm stance against the politicization of sport during the 2024 Olympics in Paris and to make a public statement to the French government, the French National and Olympic Sports Committee (CNOSF), and the France 2 TV channel.
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