04.09.2014


On the occasion of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of French public and political figure, socialist and Armenophil Jean Jaurès, delegation of the Socialist party of French National Assembly visited the Memorial Complex of the Armenian Genocide.

The French delegation headed by the chairman of the Socialist party of French National Assembly Bruno Le Rui accompanied by the director of AGMI Hayk Demoyan laid a wreath at the Memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims. Then members of the delegation laid flowers at the eternal fire and honoured the memory of the innocent victims with a minute of silence.

The delegation also visited AGMI and got acquainted with the temporary exhibition of the museum, which represents the story of the Armenian Genocide.

French public and political figure, socialist and Armenophil Jean Jaurés was born on September 3, 1859 in Castres.

In 1885 he was elected as a member of the French Parliament from Castres. During 1880s in the beginning of his political career he cooperated with the Republicans, but in 1893 he adhered to the socialist party. In 1902, J. Jaurès became the leader of the rightist Socialist party, and in 1905, after the unification with the French Socialist Party Jaurès became the leader of the right wing of Unified Socialist Party.

In 1904 the “L’Humanite՛” was established with his efforts.

For many times Jean Jaurès severely criticized the suppressions and mass massacres of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in his articles and public speeches.

In his speeches of November 3, 1896, February 22, March 15, 1897 in the French parliament, he appeared with the condemnation of the Armenian massacres and the indifference of the Europe, particularly France’s towards the Armenian issue. In one of his speeches Jean Jaurès particularly mentioned: “What a perfect silence in the newspapers to whom a well known political party to me directly or indirectly has paid for this silence, which was also sponsored by the investors of the Ottoman Empire, but notably the silence of the French Government. No any scream appeared from your mouths and no single word from your thoughts towards this bloodbath, destruction and barbarities… You are silent witnesses, therefore absolutely convicted in these massacres…”. Jean Jaurès referred to the Armenian massacres during his speech of 15 February, 1903 in Paris. He also criticized 1909Armenian massacres in Cilicia.

For many years Jean Jaurès was a member of the editorial committee of “Pro Armenia” biweekly.

Jean Juarez was assassinated by Raul Vilene on July 31, 1914 in Paris.

He was buried in Paris Pantheon.

In 2009 The Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute issued a special postcard dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Jean Jaures, the well-known French politician and Armenophil.