French People Begin to Question Conventional Version of Aleppo Events - Lawmaker

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — French people are now more interested in the reports of the people familiar with the situation in Aleppo from personal experience and are questioning the version of events that has been given to them for years, Nicolas Dhuicq, a lawmaker with The Republicans (LR) party, told Sputnik on Friday.

Three French lawmakers are currently on a visit to Syria and planning to spend the Orthodox Christmas weekend with Syrian Christians in Aleppo.

"The French understand that the version [of events in Aleppo]] that they have been given for years is not true to reality. So I think we can influence the public opinion positively," Dhuicq, a member of the French legislative defense committee, said.

The lawmaker added that the French were paying more and more attention to those who were familiar with the situation on the ground.

A nationwide ceasefire came into effect in Syria at the end of December, with Russia and Turkey agreeing to be its guarantors. Radial groups – Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh), the Nusra Front (JFS) and the Kurdish popular protection units (YPG) – are not part of the deal.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia.