Azerbaijan – Situation of Théo Clerc (12 September 2024)

France denounces the arbitrary and openly discriminatory treatment that our compatriot Théo Clerc has suffered in Azerbaijan. On September 10, Théo Clerc was sentenced by an Azerbaijani court to three years in prison for painting graffiti in the metro, while his two codefendants, who were accused of the exact same offense but hold a different nationality, were simply fined.

As soon as our compatriot was arrested this past April, the French Embassy in Baku made contact with the relevant Azerbaijani authorities to offer him consular protection in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. An Embassy representative attended all of the trial hearings.

As a reminder, French citizens, including dual citizens, are advised not to travel to Azerbaijan because of the risk of arbitrary detention and unfair sentencing in that country, whose legal system offers no guarantees of judicial independence or rights of the defense.