Missak Manouchian and Wife Inducted into France's Panthéon

Overview

• Missak Manouchian, a stateless Armenian poet and WWII Resistance fighter, along with his wife Mélinée, were inducted into the Panthéon, France's mausoleum for national heroes.
• The honor recognizes the contributions of foreign communists, many of whom were Jewish, who fought alongside the French Resistance against Nazi occupation.
• President Emmanuel Macron led the ceremony, attended by about 2,000 people, including Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and representatives from the Parti Communiste Français.
• The names of 23 of Manouchian's comrades, representing a diverse group of nationalities, will be added to a commemorative plaque inside the monument.
• The induction of the Manouchians into the Panthéon is seen as a powerful affirmation of the role of foreigners in France's history and a message against xenophobia.