Le Monde Journalist's Statement After Being Wounded in Artsakh

The wounded Le Monde journalist in Artsakh has expressed gratitude to all who helped save him. In his statement, the French journalist wrote: "Last Thursday, my journalist colleague Hermine Virabyan, photojournalist Raphael Yagobzadeh, and I were covering the brutal conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, not far from the front line near Martuni city. It was noon when we heard the sound of 'Grad' missiles being launched towards us from Turkish-Azerbaijani positions. They were bombarding the city, and we were hit by a rain of fire and metal.

Grisha Narinyan, an employee of the Martuni municipality who had been showing us the sites of previous attacks, died on the spot. He was 28 years old. Every day I think about him and his family. Grisha died because he wanted the outside world to know what his people were going through. May he rest in peace alongside the other 3 civilians who lost their lives due to the shelling. Our driver, Armen Sayan, was lightly wounded but continues to suffer from headaches due to the explosion. My colleague Hermine, whom I hold in high regard despite our short time working together, fortunately remains uninjured. My friend and colleague Raphael was injured in the head and leg.

If I understand correctly, I was hit by about ten shrapnel in various places. Some have exited my body by piercing through my abdomen. I am now recovering step by step, day by day. However, I could not write these words without the massive chain of people who saved me in Martuni, Stepanakert, Yerevan, and Paris. Some are known to me, some are my friends, and others I will never know.

This chain included Martuni residents who played a critical role in getting us to safety at the earliest moments. Allow me to thank my journalist colleagues who took me from the burned ground to the city medical center. Thanks to my other colleagues who were there and informed Paris about the situation, especially Hermine and Régis Gentle. Let me also thank all the staff at the Martuni medical center who found the time to save two foreigners amid their city’s assault.

Let me thank the men who transferred me from Martuni to the hospital in Stepanakert in an old ambulance, speeding through winding roads while deftly avoiding hits. I know the tremendous work the Stepanakert hospital staff did to save me. I have not been able to familiarize myself with all their names yet, but I am deeply grateful to each of them. I am also profoundly grateful to the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, and France who secured our transfer to Yerevan by helicopter.

Of course, this would not have been possible without President Macron, who publicly spoke about our case and did the impossible to get us out, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian. The Crisis Center of the Foreign Ministry did everything to coordinate these efforts, and I would like to thank its head, Éric Chevallier.

I want to extend special thanks to the staff of the French Embassy in Yerevan, led by Ambassador Jonathan Lacote and First Secretary Claire Le Flécher, who worked tirelessly to get us home under the best possible conditions. I am also extremely grateful to my colleagues at Le Monde, who coordinated all actions with the relevant authorities to extricate us.

I am so thankful to be working with such a supportive team. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and the support and effort shown during those very long days. I would like to extend special thanks to Jérôme Fenoglio, Luc Bron, Alain Salès, Valérie Miché, Piotr Smolar, Isabelle Mandroy, Marie Sumalian, Nicolas Jiménez, and Hélène Salon, who coordinated efforts from Paris around the clock.

And, of course, I must express deep gratitude to the AXA team for organizing logistics. And now to all my friends: I am immensely grateful for all the messages of support, thoughts, and love you have sent from around the world. As soon as I recover, I will find time to respond to all your kind wishes. Your words, even if they remain unanswered for a few days, are a significant part of the healing process.

I apologize to all my loved ones, especially my family and my Rebecca, for keeping them in great stress. I am now recovering thanks to all of you. I am being cared for at La Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris by the most dedicated, professional, and kind doctors and nurses. Every day, new steps are taken towards my full recovery. It will take a bit of time, but I know that you are with me.

Your Alan."