Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan: ‘I’m not a spy’

2026.03.16 13:20 French national Martin Ryan (left) attends his trial on spy charges in Baku, Azerbaijan, on January 6. Photo: AFP Azerbaijan on Monday sentenced a Frenchman to 10 years in prison in an espionage case launched during a period of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku that have now eased. Martin Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and went on trial in January last year, when relations between Azerbaijan and France had deteriorated to new lows over Paris’ support for Armenia, Baku’s long-time rival. The court found him guilty of spying against Azerbaijan and sentenced him to 10 years. Prosecutors had sought an 11-year prison sentence, accusing Ryan of cooperating with employees of France’s security services allegedly operating from the French embassy in Baku. They said he gathered information about Azerbaijan’s relations with Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, as well as about companies linked to Russia and China. Martin Ryan glances at photographers during his trial on spy charges in Baku on January 6,. Photo: AFP Ryan was tried alongside Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mamedli, who was convicted of high treason and sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Authorities said Ryan recruited Mamedli and arranged for him to meet French intelligence agents, who allegedly tasked him with recruiting Azerbaijanis and Russians at a Moscow university where he studied. In his final statement to the court, Ryan denied spying and said he had acted unknowingly. “I consider myself guilty only in that I should not have established contacts with some embassy employees, or that I should have shared information about them with the appropriate authorities,” Ryan told the court. “I did not spy. I am not a spy, and during the court case I tried to prove this.” Ryan’s lawyer has said his client also holds British nationality. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev chairs a meeting of the country’s Security Council in Baku on March 5. Photo: Azerbaijan Presidential Press Service/EPA Paris has rejec

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