Accused of Espionage for France, Martin Ryan Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison
The Baku Court for Serious Crimes has issued a verdict in a criminal case involving espionage in favor of France: French citizen Martin Ryan was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mamedli received a 12-year sentence.
As reported by Report, the final court session on the criminal case, investigated by the State Security Service (SSS), was chaired by Judge Elmin Rustamov.
According to the verdict, Martin Ryan was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, and Azad Mamedli to 12 years. Both convicts will serve their sentences in a high-security correctional facility.
The court also ruled that after serving his sentence, Martin Ryan will be deported from the Republic of Azerbaijan.
According to the indictment, Martin Ryan received assignments from French intelligence services to gather information on the production of weapons and ammunition in Azerbaijan, the staffing of the Azerbaijani army during the 44-day Patriotic War, individuals who are serving or have served in the military, as well as citizens who received education abroad in the French language.
The case materials also mention attempts to obtain information about foreign citizens and legal entities operating in Azerbaijan, the possibilities of organizing covert money transfers through the country’s territory, and details of Azerbaijan’s military cooperation and relations with several states, including the United Kingdom, Algeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia, and Central Asian countries.
The investigation established that Ryan acted on the instructions of employees of the French intelligence agency DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security), who had previously been declared persona non grata and expelled from Baku.
Martin Ryan, who served as the general director of LLC "Merkorama," was charged under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mamedli was charged under Article 274 (treason). Both were detained by SSS officers on December 4, 2023.
