Foreign Ministry calls on France to stop interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs

"Baku once again urges the French side to stop interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in response to a question from local media, Azernews Reports.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizadeh's response to a question from local media refers to the anti-Azerbaijani statement of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in connection with the detention of the French citizen

It was noted that a citizen of the French Republic, Martin Rian, was detained on December 4 on suspicion of committing an act under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (espionage).

"The allegations of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France about the unjustified detention of a French citizen have no grounds. This statement is a distortion of reality, another attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and the process of legitimate investigation.

Later on, by court decision, a measure of restraint in the form of detention for four months was chosen against him.

The Azerbaijani side, in taking measures against the French citizen in question, fully complied with national legislation and international obligations. Since the suspect's detention, the staff of the consular department of the French Embassy had visited him several times, and they were fully aware of the criminal case.

Furthermore, even though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan had sent a note verbale to the French Embassy in Azerbaijan to examine the cooperation of the person in question with two employees of the French Embassy, the French side refused to provide any explanations or cooperate in the investigation. In this regard, the two embassy officials were declared persona non grata by Azerbaijan.

"Once again, we urge the French side to stop interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and the mentioned investigative actions," Hajizadeh said.