Azerbaijan, ten-year espionage sentence for French citizen confirmed on appeal

(Adnkronos) – The ten-year prison sentence for French citizen Martin Ryan in Azerbaijan has been confirmed on appeal. He was found guilty last March of espionage in favor of France, charges rejected by Paris. The trial against Ryan, a businessman who had been living in Azerbaijan for four years at the time of his arrest in December 2023, amidst the crisis between Baku and Paris triggered by French protests over the Azerbaijani military operation to regain control of the entire Nagorno-Karabakh, began in January 2025. Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mamedli was also sentenced to 12 years alongside him. His sentence was also confirmed on appeal. France urges Ryan’s immediate release, reiterating that the charges against him, namely that he was recruited by DGSE officials on a mission in Baku, are to be rejected. His task was reportedly to obtain information on relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Algeria, and Somalia, photos of weapons delivered to Baku from Islamabad, and information on companies linked to Russia and China.