YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. A French court is set to begin hearing a lawsuit by Azerbaijan's government against two French broadcast journalists it accuses of defamation, in a case described by a media watchdog as an attempt by Baku to "export its censorship to France”, RFERL reports.

The court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre will start hearing the case against Elise Lucet and Laurent Richard on September 5.

They are accused of defaming the Azerbaijani government by referring to it as a "dictatorship" two years ago, when it received a visit from Francois Hollande, who was then France's president.

Lucet described Azerbaijan as "one of the world's harshest dictatorships."

In an interview with France Info radio, Richard referred to Azerbaijan as a "dictatorship."

"By suing two French journalists who just used their right to free speech, the Azerbaijani government is demonstrating its complete inability to tolerate criticism," RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said. "We must not let Baku export its censorship to France."

Reporters Without Borders ranked Azerbaijan 162nd from 180 countries in its media freedom index of 2017.