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

In Azerbaijan, Frenchman Martin Ryan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after being found guilty of espionage. Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and accused of spying against Azerbaijan, allegedly cooperating with French security service employees operating from the French embassy in Baku. Prosecutors claimed he gathered information on Azerbaijan's relations with Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, as well as companies linked to Russia and China. The trial occurred during a period of heightened tensions between France and Azerbaijan, stemming from France's support for Armenia. An Azerbaijani citizen, Azad Mamedli, was also convicted of high treason in the same case and sentenced to 12 years.

A French national, Martin Ryan, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Azerbaijan after being found guilty of spying on the country's military. Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and accused of gathering secret information about Azerbaijan's military cooperation with Turkey and Pakistan for France, as well as recruiting French-speaking Azerbaijanis to work with French intelligence. An Azerbaijani citizen, Azad Mamedli, was also sentenced to 12 years for treason in connection with the case. Both Ryan and the French government have denied the allegations, with France calling his detention "arbitrary." The case comes amid strained relations between France and Azerbaijan, stemming from France's perceived support for Armenia and Azerbaijan's accusations of French "crimes" in overseas territories.