Rachida Dati, currently a candidate for Mayor of Paris, has filed an official complaint against French-Armenian lawyer and activist François Devedjian, accusing him of “serious and repeated breaches of the essential principles” of the legal profession. The complaint was submitted to the Paris Bar Council and alleges violations of dignity, integrity, and professional conduct.
In reality, the dispute centers on Devedjian’s public reminders that Dati is set to stand trial for corruption and influence peddling, and on his criticism of her longstanding political proximity to the authoritarian Azerbaijani regime, led by President Ilham Aliyev.
Devedjian maintains that his statements are based on documented facts and do not challenge Dati’s presumption of innocence. He argues that the complaint is meant to intimidate and silence criticism rather than address misconduct:
“France is not Azerbaijan,” he wrote, “and citizens — including lawyers — still have the right to speak.”
Background on Rachida Dati
Rachida Dati rose to prominence in the late 2000s as Minister of Justice under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Known for her sharp political instincts and combative style, she later became mayor of Paris’s upscale 7th arrondissement and is currently running again for the Paris mayoralty.
However, her career has also been marked by controversy. She faces ongoing legal proceedings for alleged involvement in concealed consulting payments linked to the Renault–Nissan corporate scandal, which prosecutors say may constitute corruption and influence trafficking.
In parallel, Dati has cultivated a notably close relationship with Azerbaijan’s ruling elite, appearing alongside officials from Baku and defending positions broadly aligned with Azerbaijani state narratives — a relationship that has drawn criticism from the French-Armenian community, especially in the wake of Azerbaijan’s 2023 mass displacement of the Armenians of Artsakh.
