French VIGINUM Tried To Denigrate Work Of Baku Initiative Group - Executive Director (UPD)

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 8. The French VIGINUM government service, responsible for national security and defense, tried to denigrate the work of the Baku Initiative Group, the group's executive director Abbas Abbasov said, Trend reports.

He made this remark during today's briefing on the unfounded accusations reflected in the VIGINUM report from December 2024.

"France claimed that the videos spread by the BIG during the protests in New Caledonia were fabricated. However, the videos that France calls fabricated were sent to us by our friends.

The country had restricted internet access and banned social media in the region, but we had already received the videos before imposement of these restrictions," Abbasov explained.

According to him, the French side claims in its report that during the protests in New Caledonia, there was alleged manipulation of the French-speaking audience using "fabricated" photos and videos.

"These videos and photos, which the French side called fabricated, were sent to us by our friends in New Caledonia directly from the scene. The photos and videos were entirely authentic, taken right at the site of the events, and sent to us. The French government was committing killings and mass arrests of Kanaks and did not want the global community to see these atrocities.

The French side later even restricted internet access and blocked several social networks. However, by the time they did so, we already had photos and videos proving the unlawful actions carried out by French law enforcement. The French intelligence services also brought most individuals under investigation simply for showing sympathy toward the Baku Initiative Group, and illegal arrests were carried out," he added.

Established in 2021 to safeguard democracy and electoral discourse, VIGINUM endeavors to detect foreign networks that surreptitiously influence public debate and disseminate their knowledge to the media and governmental bodies. It operates at the inter-ministerial level under the French Prime Minister, within the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN), France's counterpart to the National Security Council, facilitating collaboration and advisory roles for the Ministries of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces, and Interior.

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