France slams Azerbaijan's 'discriminatory' jailing of graffiti sprayer

RFI

13 September 2024 at 9:11 am·1-min read

France has accused Azerbaijan of imposing “arbitrary and discriminatory treatment” on French graffiti artist Théo Clerc, who was sentenced to three years in prison for tagging the Baku metro.

Théo Clerc was arrested – along with two friends from Australia and New Zealand – in the Azeri capital Baku on 30 March for spraying graffiti in the metro.

The three men were each fined and released, but 38-year-old Clerc was re-arrested the next day and has remained in detention since.

On Tuesday, an Azeri court sentenced Clerc to three years in prison.

"His two codefendants, who were accused of the exact same offence but hold a different nationality, were simply fined," France's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"France denounces the arbitrary and openly discriminatory treatment that our compatriot Théo Clerc has suffered in Azerbaijan."

'More severe' punishment

Azerbaijan has roundly rejected the accusations of "discrimination" against Clerc and criticism of Baku's legal process as "unacceptable" and "groundless", its foreign ministry said in a statement, claiming the heavier punishment was justified.

"His insincere statements to the court regarding his ignorance of the illegality of acts of this nature in the Republic of Azerbaijan, including his lack of remorse for the act he committed, should be listed as the factors determining his punishment to be more severe than the other two persons."

(with newswires)

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'More severe' punishment

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