Former French lawmaker slams France’s travel warning on Azerbaijan as unfounded

Jean-Luc Reitzer, a former member of the French National Assembly, has sharply criticized the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs for its recent travel warning about Azerbaijan.

In a statement to local media, Reitzer dismissed the warning as baseless and unjustified, expressing disbelief at the ministry’s decision, Caliber.Az reports.

Reitzer stated, “When I first heard about the strict warning from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs advising against travel to Azerbaijan, I thought it was a joke. Such a decision is incomprehensible and unacceptable. I always encourage people to visit Azerbaijan, as I believe it is a country worth experiencing. The French media are creating a misleading image of Azerbaijan. I urge the French to visit and see for themselves; there is no reason to believe French citizens are in any danger there.”

On September 4, the French Foreign Ministry issued a warning suggesting that French citizens face “risks of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trial” if they travel to Azerbaijan. This prompted a strong reaction from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada condemning the statement as a deliberate attempt to worsen relations between the two countries.

Hajizada countered, “Such unfounded and biased statements from France only serve to strain our bilateral relations further. The claims made by the French Ministry about unjustified detention and arrest of French citizens are simply distortions of reality.”

While it is true that two French citizens were detained in Azerbaijan — Martin Ryan on suspicion of espionage in December of the previous year, and Clerk Tego Hugo for an offence in the Baku metro — Hajizada emphasized that these isolated incidents do not justify a broad warning against travel to the country.