Icelandic leaders send condolences to France after Paris shooting
Xinhua, January 8, 2015 Adjust font size:
Icelandic leaders on Thursday sent condolences to French people following a deadly attack on the office of a satirical magazine in Paris.
Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson sent a letter of condolences to French President Francois Hollande and French people, saying Icelanders' thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families, relatives and colleagues, according to a press release from the President's office.
When human rights and freedom of speech is threatened in this way, it makes people of all nations stick together to maintain the core of democracy that has molded our culture and history, said Grimsson.
Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson sent their condolences via social media Twitter.
"We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks at Charlie Hebdo. A horrific act and our thoughts remain with the victims and their families," said Gunnlaugsson.
Freedom of speech is a basic right that all societies must safeguard. "Our minds are with Paris residents, the victims, their relatives and friends," Reykjavik's mayor Dagur B.Eggertsson said in a letter sent to his counterpart in Paris.
On Wednesday, the office of satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris was attacked. 12 people died in the attack. Enditem