French graffiti artist jailed for three years for defacing Baku metro

Three foreigners have been sentenced in Azerbaijan for defacing the Baku metro with graffiti, including a Frenchman who has been jailed for three years – a move that is ratcheting up already tense relations with Paris. Even before the sentencing, last week the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a notice advising French citizens to avoid travelling to Azerbaijan, citing risks of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair judicial proceedings.  Three foreign nationals – French citizen Theo Hugo Clerk, Australian citizen Paul Han, and New Zealand citizen Ismael de Saint-Quentin – were found guilty by the Narimanov District Court under Articles 221.2.1 (hooliganism by a group of persons) and 186.2.2 (intentional destruction or damage to property causing significant consequences) of the Criminal Code on September 10, according to their lawyer Elchin Sadigov. Graffiti artist Clerk (b. 1986), was sentenced to three  years in prison, while de Saint Quentin (b. 1994), and Han (b. 1992) were both fined AZN6,800 (euro3,620). Clerk had earlier been fined AZN4,600 by the Yasamal District Court for the graffiti, but the Baku Court of Appeal later raised the damages to AZN11,600. Clerk had been held in pre-trial detention since April, while the other two had been placed...