Azerbaijan sets trial date for those accused of spying for France

The date for the trial of those accused of espionage on behalf of France has been set in Azerbaijan. 

The case will be heard at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes under presiding judge Elmin Rustamov. The preparatory hearing is scheduled for December 29, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Martin Ryan, a French national and CEO of the Baku-based company Merkorama LLC, was arrested in Baku on December 4, 2023, on charges of espionage for France.

According to the indictment, Ryan was used as a spy agent by members of the French DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security), who engaged him in covert cooperation and was subsequently expelled from the country as “persona non grata”.

Azad Mammadli, a citizen of Azerbaijan, will also be tried in this criminal case on charges of high treason.

On December 20, 2023, the head of the DGSE Bernard Emier was dismissed from his post after a series of failures of the French intelligence services and the exposure of an extensive spy network.

Azerbaijani authorities accuse Ryan of being coerced by French intelligence agents into gathering sensitive information under the guise of his business activities.

The French government has denied the espionage allegations and has called for Ryan's immediate release, expressing concerns over the fairness of the legal proceedings.

This incident has further strained diplomatic relations between France and Azerbaijan, already tense due to France's support for Armenia in regional conflicts.

By Naila Huseynova