Azerbaijan wants France to apologize for calling it ‘a dictatorship’

Azerbaijan on Friday said that France should apologize for a statement by the French interior minister calling Azerbaijan "a dictatorship."

"The French side should apologize because of this remark. Otherwise, the situation will affect the relations between Azerbaijan and France even more negatively," said Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada.

Hajizada rejected Gerald Darmanin's remarks against Azerbaijan, adding that these are "completely unacceptable."

"In Azerbaijan, unlike France where there are cases of severe violations of human rights, killings of protesters during conflicts, instances of Islamophobia and attacks against Muslims, as well as widespread antisemitism, fundamental rights and freedoms are fully guaranteed," he added.

French Interior Minister Darmanin Thursday claimed on a television program that Azerbaijan is a "dictatorship."