Azerbaijan Frees French Graffiti Artist from Metro Jail

A French street artist who was handed a three-year jail term in Azerbaijan for tagging the Baku metro has been granted pardon and released, according to an announcement made by French officials on Tuesday.

Théo Clerc, who is 38 years old, has come back to France after spending 422 days in custody. This followed his pardon from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, as mentioned by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot during a discussion with parliamentarians.

In a post made on X, Barrot mentioned that Clerc had returned to France "after being detained for 422 days."

He stated: "It is a matter of honor and pride for French diplomacy and its representatives to have relentlessly worked towards his liberation."

On her end, Kaja Kallas' team reported that she played a role in the French citizen's liberation by advocating for him during a recent trip to Azerbaijan. According to Kallas, this release "demonstrates the impact of subtle diplomacy and courteous conversation," as stated in a post on X.

In September, French officials protested that Clerc faced "discriminatory treatment" since two other defendants—one from New Zealand and another from Australia—who were charged with the same offenses only received 'minor fines.'

In September 2024, the Quai d'Orsay denounced the "arbitrary and clearly discriminatory treatment" meted out to Théo Clerc.

The street artist's conviction sparked anger in France, prompting officials to urge their citizens to avoid visiting Azerbaijan except when absolutely essential. In fact, France has warned its people not to travel to Azerbaijan due to insufficient legal safeguards and the potential for "random arrests and unjust rulings."

A French national named Martin Ryan is presently detained in Azerbaijan due to espionage accusations, though these allegations have been dismissed by the French government.

The relationship between France and Azerbaijan has become tense after Azerbaijan regained full control over the Nagorno-Karabakh area through a rapid military operation in September 2023, resulting in the displacement of over 100,000 Armenians.

Baku claims that Paris is backing Armenia, whereas France asserts that Azerbaijan is meddling in its overseas territories—claims that Azerbaijan denies.