France denounced on Thursday, September 12, the three-year prison sentence given to one of its nationals by an Azerbaijani court. for graffiti in the subway “Another Frenchman has already been held in the country, against a backdrop of tensions between Paris and Baku, for several months.
2 min
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced, on Thursday, September 12, a ” arbitrary and openly discriminatory treatment ” after the conviction of one of its nationals by the Azerbaijani justice system. ” Théo Clerc was sentenced on September 10 by an Azerbaijani court to three years in prison for graffiti in the metro, while his two co-defendants, for exactly the same acts, holding another nationality, were sentenced to a simple fine. “, deplored the spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay. The Azerbaijani authorities had not reacted to these accusations on Thursday afternoon.
The previous week, the Quai d’Orsay had made public new recommendations to French nationals, advising them not to travel to Azerbaijan, ” except for compelling reasons ” He had pointed his finger at “a risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trial “.
Baku had condemned, via Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Ayxan Hacizada issued the warning, denouncing “unfounded allegations ” He also considered that France was thus expressing its intention to “further deteriorate its relations with Azerbaijan “.
Another Frenchman, Martin Ryan, also detained in Azerbaijan, accused of espionage. Last April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had “categorically » reiterated his «Rejection of the allegations presented by Azerbaijan to justify its hostile actions against us “.
A degraded agreement
Bilateral relations have been strained for months. Azerbaijan accuses France of being a major ally of Armeniawhich for three decades supported separatists in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, eventually entirely recaptured by the Azerbaijani army in September 2023.
Paris, for its part, has accused Baku of seeking to interfere in French domestic politics, particularly during the crisis in New Caledoniaan overseas territory shaken since May by a deadly revolt movement.
Also to read and listen toTensions between France and Azerbaijan