Azerbaijan has reiterated its call for France to refrain from meddling in its internal affairs. Aykhan Hajizade, the spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, made this plea while responding to a statement from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs concerning the detention of a French citizen.
On December 4, Martin Ryan, a French national, was apprehended on suspicion of engaging in activities covered by Article 276 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, specifically espionage.
Hajizade dismissed the French Ministry’s claims regarding the unwarranted detention of Ryan, asserting that such statements lacked a factual basis. He characterized the remarks as a distortion of reality and yet another effort to interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs during an ongoing lawful investigation.
Highlighting that the court had ruled for a four-month detention of the French citizen as a precautionary measure, Hajizade stressed that Azerbaijan had adhered fully to both national legislation and international obligations. The spokesperson noted that the consular department of the French Embassy had visited the suspect multiple times since his arrest, fully cognizant of the details of the criminal case.
Despite Azerbaijan’s formal communication through a note verbale to the French Embassy, seeking cooperation in examining the collaboration between the detained individual and two French Embassy staff members, Hajizade reported that France declined to provide explanations or collaborate in the investigative process. Consequently, the two embassy employees were declared undesirable by Azerbaijan.
