French nationals, including dual citizens, are now advised against traveling to Azerbaijan unless for imperative reasons, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
According to the Ministry, French nationals, including dual citizens, whether residents or visitors, are at risk of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trial in Azerbaijan.
“This risk can affect individuals who are simply on a tourist visit or a business trip. In the event of arrest or detention, the respect for fundamental rights is not guaranteed,” MFA said.
Any French national who is arrested is exposed to:
• provisional detention or a travel ban, which can last for several months;
• severe sentences of imprisonment following trials that may not respect the rights of the defense.
Additionally, the Foreign Ministry strongly advises against traveling to the border areas with Armenia as well as the regions of the former autonomous Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent districts.
Baku on Wednesday strongly deplored the severe travel warning for Azerbaijan issued by France.
“We strongly condemn the severe travel warning for 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,” Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.
Hajizada stressed that such unfounded and biased judgment and statement by France reflect this country’s intention to deteriorate relations with Azerbaijan further.
“Allegations of France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs that French citizens were unreasonably detained and imprisoned have no basis. This unfounded statement is a distortion of reality,” he said.
The spokesman recalled 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.
The Spokesman once again demanded France to stop the smear campaign against Azerbaijan.
