Azerbaijan MFA demands France stop smear campaign against Baku

Azerbaijan strongly condemns the severe warning for travelers who intend to visit Azerbaijan issued by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, referring to unfounded claims that French people have been allegedly detained and targeted in Azerbaijan, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said in a commentary, Report informs, citing the MFA.

According to Hajizada, such unfounded and biased judgment and statement by France reflect this country’s intention to deteriorate relations with Azerbaijan further:

“Allegations of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France that French citizens were unreasonably detained and imprisoned have no basis. This unfounded statement is a distortion of reality.”

The MFA spokesperson said that so far, only one citizen of the French Republic, Martin Ryan, has been detained in Azerbaijan on suspicion of committing an act (espionage) prohibited by Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. “Furthermore, it is well-known that another French citizen, Clerk Tego Hugo, has been detained for an act committed in the Baku Metro,” he added.

“On the other hand, it is apparent that the impediments placed by France on Azerbaijani journalists during their visits to France and even other Schengen countries are entirely in contradiction with the ‘human rights’ promoted by this country,” Hajizada stressed.

“Everyone is well aware of international law violations, neocolonial policy, racist, discriminatory, and Islamophobic activities, and human rights restrictions of France, which raises claims about judicial authority and human rights in Azerbaijan and attempts to teach the world a ‘lesson of democracy.’ Therefore, it would be more beneficial for France to learn from such actions. We once again demand France to stop the smear campaign against Azerbaijan,” Aykhan Hajizada concluded.