Azerbaijan starts trial of Ryan Martin:
French citizen Martin Ryan went on trial in Azerbaijan on Monday on spying allegations that the court indicated could lead to a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years.
Ryan, who was detained in December 2023, is accused by Azerbaijan of gathering classified intelligence regarding its military collaboration with Pakistan and Turkey and of assisting in the recruitment of French-speaking Azerbaijanis to collaborate with French intelligence.
Ryan informed the judge that he entered a “partially guilty” plea.
“I admit that I performed the acts that were attributed to me, but I did so inadvertently and without realizing it. During the trial, I am ready to provide evidence in favor of this,” he declared.
Ryan’s employment:
Ryan had been employed in Azerbaijan by a company that imported food and provided consulting services. He also allegedly helped French intelligence communicate with Azad Mammadli, an Azerbaijani national who is also on trial, according to the prosecution.
At Monday’s hearing, Mammadli entered a not guilty plea. Since Azerbaijan regained control of the formerly Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, three decades after it broke away from Baku, relations between Azerbaijan and France have deteriorated significantly.
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France has a sizable Armenian diaspora and provides arms to Armenia. Last November, France’s climate minister canceled a trip to attend U.N. talks in Baku, and France protested “unacceptable” comments after Azerbaijan accused it of committing “crimes” in its overseas territories.
Reported by Naila Bagirova
Source: Reuters and Az Media
