“Members of the independence movement were illegally arrested by the French police during the recent riots in New Caledonia. They were treated like terrorists and secretly taken to Paris and subjected to various tortures, among whom were also women with young children,” said Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group as he addressed the first Congress of Independence Movements from French-colonized territories held in Baku with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean and the Antilles islands, all of which are experiencing French colonialism.

He emphasized that the Baku Initiative Group would provide assistance to the families of political prisoners and lawyers defending them.

Abbasov underlined that the family members of some of these political prisoners participate in today's event.

"The Baku Initiative Group announced a scholarship that enables the young people living in French colonies to study in Azerbaijan’s higher educational institutions. Beginning this year, the young people from these areas can benefit from this scholarship," the Executive Director added.