A French citizen has been convicted of espionage against Azerbaijan’s military and received a decade-long sentence in a maximum-security correctional facility, according to reports from state media outlets.
Martin Ryan faced accusations laid out in December 2023. He was alleged to be acting on behalf of Paris, collecting sensitive intelligence concerning Baku’s defense partnerships with Turkey and Pakistan. The charges also included assisting in the recruitment of French-speaking Azerbaijani nationals to collaborate with French intelligence services.
Both the French government and Ryan himself have consistently refuted these allegations of espionage.
Trial and Accusations
Ryan’s trial proceeded concurrently with that of an Azerbaijani national, Azad Mamedli. Mamedli was convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, as reported by the AFP news agency.
Previously, France had classified Ryan’s detention as “arbitrary” and called for his immediate release.
During the legal proceedings, prosecution attorneys presented arguments that Ryan had engaged with individuals believed to be employed by French security services, allegedly operating from within the French embassy premises in Baku. These assertions suggested a coordinated effort to gather information.
Prosecutors stated that Ryan had amassed data pertaining to Azerbaijan’s diplomatic and commercial relationships with Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. His alleged intelligence gathering also extended to entities with ties to Russia and China.
Further details from the prosecution indicated that Ryan was accused of recruiting Mamedli. This included arranging meetings between Mamedli and purported French intelligence operatives. These agents allegedly commissioned Mamedli to recruit both Azerbaijanis and Russians while he was studying at a university in Moscow.
Defendant’s Statement
In his final address to the court, Ryan maintained his innocence regarding espionage. He stated he had acted without full awareness of the implications.
“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 informed the court.
“I did not spy. I am not a spy, and during the court case I tried to prove this,” he added, emphasizing his defense.
Geopolitical Context and Diplomatic Tensions
France has contended that Ryan became an unwitting participant caught amidst escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations, according to information from AFP.
The relationship between France and Azerbaijan has experienced a downturn in recent years, largely attributed to France’s perceived support for Armenia, a geopolitical rival of Azerbaijan.
In November 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev publicly accused France of committing “crimes” in its overseas territories. These remarks followed unrest in New Caledonia, a French colony, which resulted in fourteen fatalities.
“The crimes of France in its so-called overseas territories would not be complete without mentioning the recent human rights violations,” President Aliyev stated during a speech at the COP29 climate summit held in Baku.
“The regime of President [Emmanuel] Macron killed 13 people and wounded 169… during legitimate protests by the Kanak people in New Caledonia,” he asserted, detailing the events.
In reaction to these accusations, France’s Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher withdrew from her scheduled participation in the 2024 conference.
However, in a separate development in October, President Aliyev indicated that “past misunderstandings between the two countries” had been resolved following a meeting with President Macron in Copenhagen, as reported by AFP.