'Fascist' French group leader vows fight for Armenia

BAKU, Azerbaijan

The leader of a far-right French group says he has joined Armenian ranks in Nagorno-Karabakh to fight Azerbaijanis.

Self-described fascist Marc de Cacqueray-Valmenier, leader of the far-right Zouaves Paris (ZVP), posted a photo of himself on social media in a military uniform with an automatic weapon.

The ZVP is a pro-violence, neo-Nazi group.

French daily Liberation reported that De Cacqueray-Valmenier also went to Ukraine last year, and admires the far-right ultranationalist Azov group.

His participation means that after terrorist outfits such as the YPG/PKK, European far-right groups have also started fighting alongside Armenia.

Albert Mikaelyan, a soldier who was taken captive by Azerbaijani forces liberating the country’s territories, last month confessed that PKK terrorists were fighting in Armenian forces’ ranks in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian branch.

Relations between the ex-Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Fresh clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and since then Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fires since Oct. 10.

While world powers have called for a sustainable cease-fire, Turkey has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces. Multiple UN resolutions also call for the withdrawal of the invading forces.