Three years in prison for graffiti in the metro in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. The conviction on appeal of French graphist Théo Clerc was confirmed on Monday December 16 by the Azerbaijani courts. It is considered disproportionate and arbitrary by those close to him, who blame the poor diplomatic relations between France and Azerbaijan.
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“ The Court of Appeal upheld the trial court’s decision to imprison French citizen Théo Clerc for three years under the vandalism article “, indicated his Azerbaijani lawyer Eltchine Sadygov.
For what Théo Clerc receives three years in prisonwhile his two graphist friends, a New Zealander and an Australian, only had to pay a fine for the same acts to be released? For his brother Charlie Clerc, the decision is deeply unfair. “ Théo did exactly the same thing as his friends: he apologized several times in court, he wrote a letter of apology to the president, we paid to clean the graffiti on the subway, and he’s still there [à Bakou]. It was only because he is French and not for the facts “, he said.
His brother suggests that Théo Clerc would be a “ diplomatic hostage », trapped in the very degraded relations between Paris and Baku. These began since France’s support for Armenia as part of the conflict between Yerevan and Baku for control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Just like the accusations interference allegedly carried out by Azerbaijan in French overseas territories.
Théo Clerc’s lawyer, Margot Fontaine, “ of course hopes for relief.” “We are very disappointed since it is the confirmation of a decision which is unfair, and in addition, discriminatory, since it is based on the nationality of Theo Clerc “. She also recalls that the graffiti for which he was sentenced to 3 years in prison had “not nothing political ” And ” this offense of “hooliganism” is often blamed on opponents of the regime ».
On this occasion, the graph that was produced in Baku is the one bearing his graphist nickname, so there is no anti-regime phrase, there is no anti-Azerbaijan phrase, no demands.
Théo Clerc’s lawyer, Margot Fontaine, is outraged by a “discriminatory” decision, since it is based on nationality.
Legal recourse is dwindling. So the family hopes that Théo Clerc’s detention conditions will not worsen with his transfer to a new Azerbaijani prison.
Other French detainees
At the same time, another Frenchman, Martin Ryan, currently detained in Azerbaijan, accused of espionage. Accusations “ categorically » rejected by Paris. A third French person has been banned from leaving Azerbaijan since July, a measure described as “ arbitrary » by French diplomacy, which requests its lifting.