00 days

00 hours

00 mins

00 secs

Special offer: -15%15% OFF your subscription

Consult our offers

Your account has been succesfully created.

EN FR

Scroll through edition

The Morning Brief
Log in

Password

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password?
Subscribe

Azerbaijan, France
French interior ministry's barrage of unsigned memos about former Azerbaijani intelligence collaborator

Read this article in our running story

“Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts”

France

Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts

The French Ministry of the Interior regularly rejects French nationality applications from foreign nationals living in France, on the grounds that they are not "loyal" to the country. Chinese, Russian, Colombian, Kurdish and Algerian citizens have all faced rejection on this basis. The refusal is based on memos from the French domestic intelligence service (DGSI), which allege, for example, close links with a foreign intelligence service, but without giving any further details. French courts are thus becoming increasingly fussy about the content of those memos. [...]

French justice remains bogged down in the complex case of an Azerbaijani national who claims to have been recruited by the domestic intelligence service in Baku. No fewer than four "notes blanches" unsigned memos were deployed to uphold a ban on him staying in France. [...]

Published on 20/05/2025 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 3 minutes Alice Pontallier

This article may be accessed by subscribers

In order to ensure high-quality and independent journalism, Intelligence Online relies solely on subscriptions from its readers, with no advertising, no events and no consulting work.

Several offers are available depending on your particular reading needs

Consult our offers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

Discover our work by making use of the following possibilities: daily newsletters, a selection of free articles, keyword alerts.

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

create a free account

Read this article here:

Government Intelligence

Read this article in our running story

“Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts”

France

Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts

15% OFF your subscription

Special offer: Only 16d and 15h to take advantage of it

Consult our offers

This offer is open to all new subscribers and runs until 06/06/2025

Set up email notifications for these topics

Azerbaijan
France
Al-Qaeda
Daesh
DGSE
DGSI
DTX
FSB
Ilham Aliyev
Interpol
Islamic State
Martin Ryan
Ofpra
Ramazan Y
Rovshan A
SNEAS

Azerbaijan, France
Legal wrangling between Paris and Baku intensifies

The trial of Martin Ryan, a French-British national who was arrested in late 2023, is due to resume in Baku on 14 April. The stand-off between France and Azerbaijan is currently taking place in the two countries' respective legal courts.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 14.04.2025

French-British national Martin Ryan, accused of espionage, attends a court hearing in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 6 January 2025.

The Intelligence Gazette
A gift from MI6, Extradition to Russia refused, Vanuatu puts golden passports on hold, Pentagon's secret budget

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

United KingdomMI6 'freebie' fails to convince EU Commission

France/Russia/AzerbaijanNo extradition for former DTX collaborator

VanuatuPM pauses golden passports

United StatesAir Force gets most of Pentagon's classified budget

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 24.03.2025

Azerbaijan, France
Baku plies pressure on alleged DGSE informant in exile in France

As trial hearings in the Paris and Baku courts for Azerbaijani and French nationals keep being pushed back, a new informational campaign has been launched in the Azerbaijani media.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 19.03.2025

Azerbaijan, France
Paris and Baku negotiating releases despite public tensions

Amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Baku and Paris, behind the scenes negotiations are underway to secure the release of a French national held by Azerbaijan. According to Intelligence Online sources, Azerbaijan wants France to return an opposition figure and an alleged former intelligence collaborator who has requested asylum.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 03.02.2025

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev during a meeting on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Bulboaca (Moldova), 1 June 2023.

Azerbaijan, France
Baku holds upper hand in ongoing information war with France

Tensions between Baku and Paris have reached a new peak but Ilham Aliyev and his regime are continuing to dictate the agenda in an information battle the two countries have been waging for several months.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 04.12.2024

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at COP29 in Baku on 12 November 2024.

Azerbaijan, France
On COP29 sidelines, lawyers ramp up efforts to defend one of their French clients in Baku

Lawyers representing French nationals held in Azerbaijan are taking advantage of the world climate conference being held in Baku to raise awareness of their client Théo Clerc's predicament.

Subscribers only Corporate Intelligence 18.11.2024

Azerbaijan, France
Russian request complicates French-Azerbaijani spy skirmish

In the battle between the French and Azerbaijani intelligence services, both sides have detained an individual potentially linked to an agency of the opposing side. Russia's decision to request the extradition of the Azerbaijani individual on attention-grabbing accusations of terrorism has made the situation doubly complicated for the French authorities.

Free access Government Intelligence 24.09.2024

The Paris court of appeal handed down a ruling on 11 September concerning a request for the extradition of an Azerbaijani national from the Russian prosecutor general's office.

Azerbaijan, France
DGSI strives to uncover Azerbaijan's opposition intimidation network

Following France and Azerbaijan's recent expulsions of each other's agents, the French intelligence services are trying to uncover the networks used by the Azerbaijani regime for tracking political opponents in Europe. They are being assisted by a former Azerbaijani intelligence collaborator.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 23.02.2024

15% OFF your subscription

Special offer: Only 16d and 15h to take advantage of it

Consult our offers

This offer is open to all new subscribers and runs until 06/06/2025

Set up email notifications for these topics

Azerbaijan
France
Al-Qaeda
Daesh
DGSE
DGSI
DTX
FSB
Ilham Aliyev
Interpol
Islamic State
Martin Ryan
Ofpra
Ramazan Y
Rovshan A
SNEAS

Once registered, you will be notified by a short message on your computer or mobile phone as soon as a new edition of our publication or an alert is published. Stay informed anytime, anywhere!

China, Europe, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, United States
The geopolitical power plays in Earth observation

France
Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts

Central America, China, South America
Beijing on the offensive in Washington's spheres of influence

Ukraine
Jamming wars

Armenia, Azerbaijan, France
Information wars in the Caucasus

Insiders | China
Security, propaganda and the PLA: Xi Jinping forges new networks of influence

Insiders | Qatar
Barzan Holdings, Qatar's defence industry giant springing up out of the desert

Azerbaijan, France
French interior ministry's barrage of unsigned memos about former Azerbaijani intelligence collaborator