French Foreign Ministry rejects Azerbaijan`s allegations of  `interference in country`s internal affairs`

ArmInfo. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected allegations made by Azerbaijan of interference in this country's internal affairs and demanded the release of a French citizen previously detained in Baku. The corresponding statement was released by the press service of the French Foreign Ministry.

"We categorically reject the allegations made by Azerbaijan to justify its hostile actions toward us," the French Foreign Ministry stated..

The Foreign Ministry also repeated its position regarding the detention of the  French citizen in Azerbaijan, considering such actions arbitrary. It clarified that employees of the French consulate in Baku  are in constant touch with his family, and were able to visit their compatriot twice, under the principle of consular protection. They intend to continue doing so, in accordance with international law.

"As we have already told the Azerbaijani authorities, we consider this detention to be arbitrary and we demand the immediate release of our citizen," the statement said. 

On January 9, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the assertions of the French Foreign Ministry about the unjustified detention of a French citizen in Baku groundless, accusing Paris of attempting to interfere in the country's internal affairs and the investigation process. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada clarified that French citizen Martin Ryan was detained on December 4, 2023 on suspicion of espionage, and later the court chose a preventive measure against him in the form of arrest for four months.