New information surfaces about attack on Azerbaijan's Embassy in Paris

PARIS

New information about the attack by Armenian protesters on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris on Sept. 18 has surfaced in France.

The embassy was attacked by radical French people with Armenian ancestry, according to Gunel Zulfugarova, the media attache at the diplomatic mission.

She claimed that 40 to 50 protesters tried to set fire to the portraits of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

Hurling abuses at Azerbaijan, the protesters also threw eggs at the building, she added.

"Three to four individuals made an attempt to break in after kicking the door and then removing the barricade. They did so by cutting the lock," she said.

Police responded to their call after 20 to 30 minutes and the situation escalated before their arrival.

According to Zulfugarova, a request was made to determine the extent of the building damage. She further said when there is enough information, they will share it with the French authorities and start legal proceedings to address the building damage.

Ali Khalafli, the political affairs officer at the embassy, said the security guard stopped the protesters from breaking the door's lock and entering the embassy by holding it shut.

After the incident, a request was made with the French authorities to beef up security at the embassy, but it has not been granted yet, he said.

He also said the protesters chanted slogans against Azerbaijan and burned posters of Azerbaijani President Iham Aliyev along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is viewed as a staunch ally of Baku.

After police arrived at the scene, he said, the demonstration proceeded in a calmer manner.

Police officials are now verifying the identities of anyone who approaches the embassy and a police car is stationed outside the premises.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations emphasizes the inviolability of foreign mission buildings, including embassies and consulates, and clearly states that these buildings cannot be accessed without the mission chief's permission.

The contract also stipulates that the nation accepting the foreign mission is obligated to protect the structures.

The surveillance cameras captured the assault by Armenian protesters who had assembled in front of the embassy.

Rahman Mustafayev, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to France, said in a tweet that embassies in the country were not protected and their valid request for security were neglected, causing an embarrassment to France.

According to the statement released on Monday by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zacharie Gross, the French ambassador to Baku, was summoned and handed a note regarding the attack on the Paris embassy.