– as Guyanese express condolences for Paris attack Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of? Independence stipulates that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”Deputy French Consul to Guyana, David BertilliThis and other pertinent sentiments have been echoed by Deputy French Consul to Guyana, David Bertilli, who was present at the signing of the Book of Condolences for those killed in Paris last week after members of a radical Islamist group carried out a brazen mid-morning attack on French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.The Book of Condolences is opened at the office of the Consul General of France at Lot 276 ‘B’ Peter Rose Street, Queenstown Georgetown. The activity which commenced at 9:00 am yesterday is scheduled to conclude at midday today.Yesterday, the French envoy welcomed members of the public, who took the opportunity to express their sympathies to family and friends of the persons slaughtered in the French tragedy.Prime Minister,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, Samuel Hinds, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues and Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn were among those who signed the Book of Condolences for the victims.The violent attack carried out against the weekly French satirical magazine claimed 17 lives including that of journalists and police officers, some were killed in three days of violence which began, last Wednesday.Those killed in attack on the magazine included French journalists St?phane Charbonnie, Georges Wolinski, Bernard Maris, Jean Cabut and Philippe Honor?.The shooting was seen an act of retaliation by Muslim extremist for provocative images the magazine?? published; some of the images appeared to be an attack on Islam and other religions.?? However, world leaders have stood in solidarity with the citizens of France,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, condemning the attack on the magazine, calling it as a brutal assault on freedom of the press.? On Sunday, more than 40 World Leaders joined the citizens of France to pay tribute to the victims.Locally, prominent politicians noted the occurrence held grave significance to Guyana; more so Kaieteur News, given that the newspaper has been the subject of recent threats issued by high ranking officials in government and had experienced a similar occurrence which claimed the lives of five employees,Cheap Jerseys From China, a few years ago.A member of the public signs the Book of Condolences for victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack.More recently, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall,Wholesale China Jerseys, in a profanity-laced recording, was heard telling a senior reporter that “innocent people” working at Kaieteur News would be in harm’s way as a result of the types of stories the newspaper has been carrying. There were calls by, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to the Guyana Government for protection of the Kaieteur News staff and for an investigation to be carried out in relation to Nandlall’s utterances.? The government is yet to respond to those calls.The Deputy French Consul, in an invited comment on the matter expressed that although he does not consider the attack in France as having same basis as threats issued against Kaieteur News and other independent news agencies in Guyana, attacks on freedom of the press for whatever reason should not be condoned.“The difference between the attack in France and the attack on Kaieteur newspapers is that it seems be a political problem in Guyana but in France it was more of a social issue,” he added.The French Diplomat said that he can only hope that the press in Guyana is not at risk from the same kind of violent attack that was carried out on the French magazine since it is essential for the nation to promote and safeguard the future of press freedom.He expressed that “in Guyana the press is pretty free because what you print sometimes you (must) have a free press for that …The problem is to make sure it stays free. I hope the people of Guyana stand up with the same courage as the people in France for a free press and protecting it,”Bertilli noted that the Government of France has been impartial in their support for freedom of the press. He explained that in this regard Charlie Hedbo, a small but very well known magazine in France,nfl jerseys cheap, which published offensive images relative to prominent persons including officials in Government, was able to benefit from the protection of the French police.