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French businessman Martin Ryan's espionage conviction upheld in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's appellate court confirmed a ten‑year prison sentence for French businessman Martin Ryan, finding him guilty of spying for France. The verdict, delivered on 16 March 2026, upheld the original judgment from a trial that began in January 2025 after Ryan’s arrest in December 2023. Ryan was tried alongside Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mamedli, who received a twelve‑year term for high treason.
France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs denounced the ruling as arbitrary and called for Ryan’s immediate release, while Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the French statement, asserting that the case was investigated and judged in accordance with Azerbaijani law and that French consular officials were present at every hearing. The ministry warned against politicising the judiciary and urged respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty.
The espionage case has added strain to already tense Franco‑Azerbaijani relations, which soured after Baku’s September 2023 recapture of the predominantly Armenian region of Karabakh, displacing more than 100,000 residents. French officials allege that members of the DGSE recruited Ryan while posted at the French embassy in Baku, a claim denied by France.
Entities
Azad Mamedli · Azerbaijan · Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs · DGSE · France · French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs · General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) · Martin Ryan
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs called the conviction arbitrary and demanded Ryan's release. www.sudouest.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] French consular representatives attended all court sessions during Ryan's trial. www.trend.az
- [● 2 SOURCES] Franco‑Azerbaijani relations were strained after Baku recaptured the predominantly Armenian region of Karabakh in September 2023, displacing over 100,000 people. www.sudouest.fr · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the French statement, defending the trial's legality and citing French consular presence at hearings. www.trend.az
- [● 2 SOURCES] Azerbaijan's appellate court upheld a ten‑year prison sentence for French businessman Martin Ryan for espionage. www.sudouest.fr · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The trial of Martin Ryan began in January 2025 after his arrest in December 2023. www.sudouest.fr · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Members of France's DGSE allegedly recruited Martin Ryan while working at the French embassy in Baku and were later expelled. ca.news.yahoo.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Azad Mamedli, an Azerbaijani citizen, was sentenced to twelve years in prison for high treason. www.sudouest.fr · ca.news.yahoo.com