The trial of Martin Ryan, accused of spying for France, continued in Azerbaijan

Another court hearing was held on the criminal case opened by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan (SSS) against Martin Ryan, who was accused of spying for France, and Azad Mammadli, who was accused of treason.

In the trial held at the Baku Court of Serious Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Elmin Rustamov, the state prosecutor filed a motion to summon the witnesses who were involved in the case and who did not appear. The prosecutor noted that their interrogation is very important for the criminal case. The defense side also agreed with this request.

The court granted the petition and set the next hearing for the hearing of witnesses on March 16.

According to the indictment, there are reasonable suspicions that Martin Ryan was engaged in gathering information about weapons and ammunition produced in Azerbaijan under the instructions of the French intelligence services, the involvement of the Azerbaijani army during the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020, military personnel and reservists who could be recruited for cooperation, citizens studying French abroad, foreign citizens and legal entities operating in Azerbaijan, as well as the possibility of organizing secret money transfers to other countries through Azerbaijan. there is He also gathered information about Azerbaijan's relations and relations with the United Kingdom, Algeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia, Central Asian states and other countries, military cooperation plans and the supply of arms and ammunition to Azerbaijan.

The accused persons were arrested on December 4, 2023 by the employees of the State Security Service.

Merkorama CEO M. Ryan was charged with Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to the indictment, M. Ryan was recruited to secretly cooperate with the French Directorate General of Foreign Security (DGSE) and was later used as a spy. They were later declared undesirable persons in Baku and expelled from the country.

Azerbaijan citizen A. Mammadli was charged with the same criminal case with M. Ryan under Article 274 (treason) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.