Baku court sentences French, Azerbaijani citizens in espionage, treason case

A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced two men to prison terms in a high-profile espionage and treason case launched by the country’s State Security Service.

The verdict was delivered at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Elmin Rustamov, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Martin Ryan, who was charged with spying for France, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli, accused of treason, received a 12-year sentence. Both men are to serve their terms in a strict-regime penitentiary facility. The court also ruled that Ryan will be deported from Azerbaijan after completing his sentence.

According to the indictment, investigators alleged that Ryan received instructions and engaged in activities aimed at gathering information on weapons and ammunition produced in Azerbaijan, the staffing of the Azerbaijani Army during the 44-day war in 2020, and individuals serving in or discharged from the armed forces who could potentially be recruited as contacts.

The charges further included allegations of collecting information on Azerbaijani citizens educated in France, foreign nationals and legal entities operating in Azerbaijan, covert financial transfers through Azerbaijan to third countries, and relations between Azerbaijan and a range of states, including the United Kingdom, Algeria, Türkiye, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia and Central Asian countries. Prosecutors also cited attempts to obtain information on military cooperation plans and imported weapons and ammunition.

Note that the accused persons were arrested on December 4, 2023. The State Security Service brought charges against Martin Ryan, the general director of “Merkorama” LLC, under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the indictment, Martin Ryan was used as an agent-spy by officers of France’s DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who had recruited him into covert cooperation and were later expelled from Baku after being declared persona non grata.

In the same criminal case, alongside Martin Ryan, Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli has been charged under Article 274 (treason against the state) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.