We strongly condemn the unjustified travel warning issued by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France regarding Azerbaijan, based on baseless claims that French citizens are allegedly detained and targeted in Azerbaijan.

Axar.az reports that this was stated in a comment by the spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ayxan Hacızadə, regarding the travel warning issued by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs concerning Azerbaijan.

He noted that such an unfounded and biased decision and statement by France indicate the intention to further aggravate relations with Azerbaijan:

"There is no basis for the claims by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs that French citizens are unjustly detained and arrested. This baseless statement is a distortion of reality. So far, only one French citizen, Martin Rian, was detained on December 4 last year on suspicion of committing an act under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (espionage). Additionally, another French citizen, Clerc Théo Hugo, was detained for an incident he caused in the Baku Metro. On the contrary, the obstacles imposed by France on Azerbaijani journalists traveling to France or even to other Schengen countries clearly contradict the 'human rights' that France claims to promote."

It was stated that France, which claims to advocate for judicial authority and human rights in Azerbaijan and lectures the world on democracy, is well-known for its international legal violations, neo-colonial policies, racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, and restrictions on human rights. Therefore, it would be more beneficial for France to learn a lesson from its own actions:

"We once again demand that France stop its smear campaign against Azerbaijan."