Espionage trial continues in Baku: Ryan accused of passing military data to French intelligence

Baku Grave Crimes Court is continuing the trial of Martin Ryan, who stands accused of espionage on behalf of France, and Azad Mammadli, who is charged with high treason.

The case has drawn significant attention as both defendants offer contrasting accounts of their involvement in alleged espionage activities, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Mammadli testified during the trial, presided over by Judge Elmin Rustamov, and accused Ryan of involving him in espionage. Mammadli explained that he had received offers of cooperation from two French embassy officials, Frederic Devos and Laurent Laudi. Despite these offers, Mammadli stated that he refused to participate but admitted to failing to inform Azerbaijani authorities about the attempts at recruitment. "This is my main mistake," Mammadli told the court.

Mammadli also explained that it was Ryan who introduced him to the embassy officials, claiming that Ryan had created a "psychological bond" between him and the French diplomats. "Perhaps it was a targeted operation," Mammadli speculated. However, he vehemently denied passing any state secrets to the French intelligence officers. "I did not share any verbal or written information. Only subjective opinions. I stopped all contact with the embassy back in 2023," Mammadli asserted.

On the other hand, Ryan denied all the accusations and refuted Mammadli's testimony. According to Ryan, he introduced Mammadli to Devos and Laudi in 2021 because Mammadli was seeking a job and Devos was looking for someone with knowledge of Russia. Ryan claimed that Mammadli was aware that he was engaging with intelligence agents but chose to continue the contact. "Azad even asked me about the possibility of receiving material benefits from the embassy. I told him it was very dangerous. But if I wanted to recruit Mammadli, I would not have told him that it was dangerous," Ryan argued.

Mammadli further alleged that Ryan had passed military data to French intelligence, claiming that Ryan had provided information on dozens of Azerbaijani citizens, including former military personnel and businessmen. "He used the messenger Signal to communicate with intelligence officials," Mammadli said, suggesting that Ryan's espionage activities were extensive. Mammadli also accused Ryan of receiving financial support through a Swedish citizen, claiming that the French intelligence service had funneled money via a Swedish millionaire. He said that Ryan used this money to purchase a flat in central Baku, raising further suspicions about the source of the funds.

Ryan has denied these claims, and the defense has yet to offer a full rebuttal to the accusation of espionage.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 23, where further details are expected to emerge regarding the accusations of espionage and treason.

By Vafa Guliyeva