Corsican representative: Members of minority peoples in France live the life of political prisoners
Baku, March 29, AZERTAC
"Due to France's colonial policies, the Corsican people are on the brink of extinction. The island of Corsica, which was seized by military force, has been subjected to French pressure throughout history. While official France speaks of democracy and freedom, it has always treated Corsicans harshly, despite claiming these values as its priorities," said François Benedetti, a Corsican representative, at the international conference on "Colonialism: Erasure of Religious and National Identity" held in Baku.
He pointed out that, in order to fully colonize the island of Corsica and suppress the people's desire for freedom, France first began exploiting Corsican culture and religion. Various methods were employed to force Corsicans to abandon their religion. He also emphasized that 200 members of the "Natsione" movement in Corsica were unlawfully imprisoned. "They are political prisoners, and we demand their freedom," Benedetti stated.
François Benedetti further highlighted that the presence of political prisoners in modern French prisons reveals the ugly nature of France's policies. He pointed out that in a country that teaches the world lessons on democracy, there are currently over 200 political prisoners from Corsica.
Benedetti stressed that the policy of assimilation in Corsica is causing the population to decrease year by year. School textbooks and universities provide no information about Corsican history, language, or literature. "They present us as French, but Corsicans will never accept the colonial policies carried out by France."
