An Azerbaijani couple says their two children were taken from them by French police at Paris Airport because of a German order blocking the minors from leaving Europe.
The parents, Məhəmməd Quliyev and Gültac Abdullayeva, told Qafqazinfo they had lived in Dortmund for several years before deciding to return to Azerbaijan. On Aug. 6, during a stopover in Paris, police approached them and removed their two-year-old and six-month-old children. Officers cited a German travel restriction linked to child-abuse allegations.
German hospital staff had accused Abdullayeva of harming her newborn earlier this year. The claims included striking the baby’s head, gagging with a cloth and exposing the infant to cold water. She denied the allegations, saying the child was recovering from surgery at the time.
Following the report, Germany’s Jugendamt child welfare agency placed the family under supervision. A Turkish-speaking social worker was assigned to observe care. The parents said relations were tense and decided to leave Germany.
The children are now in a shelter in France. A court hearing is expected in the coming days to decide whether the travel ban will be lifted.
The parents have contacted the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris. Diplomats confirmed that German authorities issued the order and said they are monitoring the case.
The incident underlines the cross-border reach of child-protection measures inside the European Union. Restrictions imposed in one member state can be enforced in others, leaving families caught between national systems and EU-wide cooperation.
