AZE.US
A court in Azerbaijan’s capital has continued hearings in the criminal case against two men accused of espionage and treason linked to France, according to court proceedings and state investigators.
The case involves Martin Ryan, who faces espionage charges, and Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli, who is charged with high treason. The hearing took place at the Baku Grave Crimes Court under Judge Elmin Rustamov. Prosecutors requested further questioning of witnesses who had already testified, and the court approved the motion without objection from the defense. The next hearing is scheduled for March 16.
Investigators allege that Ryan collected information related to weapons production in Azerbaijan, participants of the country’s 2020 war, and individuals currently serving or eligible for military service. Authorities also claim he sought data on foreign nationals and legal entities operating in Azerbaijan, as well as Azerbaijani citizens educated in French abroad.
According to the indictment, the alleged activity included attempts to organize covert financial transfers to third countries on instructions from French intelligence services and to gather information on Azerbaijan’s military cooperation and relations with multiple states, including the United Kingdom, Algeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia and Central Asian countries, along with details on arms imports.
Both defendants were detained by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service on Dec. 4, 2023. Investigators say Ryan, who served as a company executive in Azerbaijan, had been recruited for secret cooperation by officers of France’s external intelligence service who were later declared persona non grata in Baku. Mammadli is charged under Article 274 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, which covers high treason.
The defendants’ legal representatives have not publicly commented on the accusations. France has not issued an immediate public response to the case.