BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 7. The Baku Grave Crimes Court has laid bare the indictment against Martin Ryan and Azad Mammadli, who have been caught red-handed for spying for France, TurkicWorld reports.
During the new trial on the criminal case raised by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan against the arrested persons, Judge Elmin Rustamov explained to the defendants their rights.
The defendants appeared before the court in an open trial session. The judicial panel carried out procedures related to the protection of all procedural rights of the accused. Representatives of local and foreign media, as well as employees of foreign embassies, participated in the process.
The state prosecutor read the indictment, which raised serious suspicions that Ryan had been asked to gather information on military goods made in Azerbaijan, the people who served in or were in the reserve of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, and people who had studied French abroad. The indictment also talked about the staffing of the Azerbaijani Army during the Second Karabakh War.
He was also told to find out about foreigners and businesses operating in Azerbaijan, as well as how French intelligence services could use Azerbaijan to send money in secret. He was also told to look into the military cooperation and relationships between Azerbaijan and the UK, Algeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia, and Central Asia, as well as arms supplies to Azerbaijan.
Ryan is also suspected of establishing targeted personal relationships with individuals working in the embassies of certain foreign countries in Azerbaijan and receiving and transmitting information to a foreign intelligence agency.
The indictment pointed out that Ryan organized meetings for Mammadli with French intelligence officers in a house he rented in the Sabail district and at one of the restaurants in the area.
For his work, Mammadli received a promise of foreign citizenship.
After the agreement with him, they communicated through specific mobile apps and his Gmail address.
If the charges against Ryan and Mammadli are confirmed, they face imprisonment for a period of 12 to 20 years.
During the open court proceedings, Ryan partially admitted his guilt in the criminal case and acknowledged the existence of evidence supporting it.
A decision was made to continue questioning the accused and witnesses and to review documents and evidence.
On February 19, the trial will resume in an open format.
On December 4, 2023, authorities arrested Martin Ryan and others. They charged Ryan, CEO of Mercorama LLC, with espionage.
According to the indictment, Ryan was used as a spy agent by employees of the French DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), who involved him in secret cooperation and were subsequently expelled from Baku as a "persona non grata.".
Along with Ryan, Mammadli, a citizen of Azerbaijan, stood trial in this criminal case on charges of "high treason.".
On December 20, 2023, the head of the French Directorate General of External Security (DGSE), Bernard Émier, was dismissed from his post after exposing a large spy network and service failures.
