Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, has sent a letter to Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire expressing strong concern and protest over an exhibition featuring individuals of Armenian nationality convicted of crimes in Azerbaijan.
In the letter posted on her X account, she said the exhibition, scheduled for September 2, would display portraits presented as those of “Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan” in a square in front of Paris City Hall, Caliber.Az reports.
According to Abdullayeva, the initiative could present a one-sided interpretation of the past and undermine the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The ambassador stressed that Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan’s territory and that the country’s territorial integrity is recognised by the international community, including France and Armenia. She also recalled the consequences of three decades of conflict and noted that Azerbaijan has been carrying out large-scale reconstruction efforts in Karabakh since restoring its territorial integrity.
In her words, a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia was initialled at the Washington summit in August 2025 and a joint declaration was signed, which, in her assessment, opened a new stage in relations between the two countries. She also referred to a statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on August 8, 2026, that peace between the two countries had become “visible and tangible.”
The ambassador noted that the peace process, which has received the support of French President Emmanuel Macron, is based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity, reaffirmed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“In this new context, the embassy views with particular concern any initiative that could present a one-sided and confrontational interpretation of the past or once again bring into the public sphere in Paris narratives incompatible with the spirit of the peace process launched between the two states. We are concerned that the initiative in question apparently originates from organisations representing the Armenian diaspora in France, while the authorities of the Republic of Armenia at the highest level have clearly stated their readiness to continue the peace agenda and normalise relations with Azerbaijan,” the letter said.
Abdullayeva further stated that holding the “exhibition” contradicts the peace agenda.
“As for the ‘Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan,’ they were charged with serious crimes: crimes against humanity, war crimes, terrorism, as well as an attempt to seize power by force. Among them is Ruben Vardanyan, who is included on Ukraine’s ‘Myrotvorets’ sanctions list for financing the war against Ukraine. While France firmly supports Ukraine, it seems contradictory to us to demand the release of individuals with such a profile,” she wrote.
The diplomat added that individuals convicted by the Baku Military Court, including former representatives of the unrecognised regime in Karabakh, had been found guilty of several crimes, including crimes against peace and humanity.
She called on Paris City Hall to reconsider its decision to hold the exhibition and suspend it.
The exhibition was organised jointly by Paris City Hall and the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organisations in France (CCAF).
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
