The Daily Press Briefing

Statements made by
the Ministry for Europe
and Foreign Affairs
Spokesperson


Paris - March 24, 2022
In this issue:

◢  Afghanistan – France condemns the Taliban's decision to bar girls ages 12 and older from attending school (March 24, 2022)

◢  Cuba

◢  Situation of Salah Hamouri

 
Afghanistan – France condemns the Taliban's decision to bar girls ages 12 and older from attending school (March 24, 2022)

France condemns the Taliban's decision to bar girls ages 12 and older from attending school. This alarming decision, which contradicts the public commitments made by the Taliban, is a violation of the obligations set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by Afghanistan.

France reiterates its ongoing commitment to the universal right to education with special consideration given to the protection of the rights of girls, adolescent girls and women. Ensuring access to education for Afghan women and girls is key to the sustainable, equitable development of Afghan society.



Cuba

Gerardo Peñalver, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, is in Paris. What meetings does he have scheduled with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and which topics will be covered? Would you please give us a snapshot of Franco-Cuban relations?

Today, the Cuban First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerardo Peñalver will meet with the Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This meeting will focus on bilateral political dialogue and will cover all aspects of our bilateral relationship.

The partnership between France and Cuba is founded on an open dialogue and is grounded in cooperation, namely via the French Development Agency (AFD), which has had a Cuban presence since 2016.

This meeting will address the priorities for our bilateral relationship in addition to the current regional crises impacting Europe and Latin America. The Secretary General will reiterate the need for Cuba to comply with its human rights commitments following the concerns expressed by France regarding the trial of the individuals jailed after the July 11, 2021, protests. He will also raise the issue of compliance with the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement signed by Cuba and the European Union.

Lastly, the Secretary General will discuss the France-backed initiatives to resolve the crisis caused by the Russian aggression in Ukraine.



Situation of Salah Hamouri

The French-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri was sentenced on March 10 to four months of administrative detention by the Israeli military court, which maintains that he "endangers security in the region," according to accusations filed against him. Our fellow citizen is once again being harassed by the Israeli regime. A few days ago, President Macron spoke out publicly in support of the Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who is openly criticizing Moscow's military operation in Ukraine. Does France intend to respond publicly and just as strongly with regard to Salah Hamouri – who is openly criticizing Tel Aviv's military operation in the Palestinian territories – in order to secure his release, his right to live in the land where he was born, and his right to live with his family, which, for the time being, can't join him because Israel has barred them from entering the country?

Following the arrest of our compatriot Salah Hamouri, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris, the French Consulate General in Jerusalem and the French Embassy in Israel were immediately and fully mobilized.

The Israeli authorities were asked to provide explanations for this latest arrest and to ensure that all of Mr. Hamouri's rights are respected and that he is able to exercise all legal remedies.

Salah Hamouri is entitled to the consular protection provided for by the Vienna Convention of April 24, 1963, as would any other French citizen detained abroad who requests it. Thus, officials from the French Consulate General in Jerusalem were able to visit him on March 21.

We have been monitoring Mr. Hamouri's situation closely at a high level for a long time. We reiterate our demand that he be allowed to lead a normal life in Jerusalem, where he was born and where he lives, and that his wife and children be allowed to rejoin him there.


France in the
United States
Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.
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