BAKU – An Azerbaijani court handed down a 10-year prison sentence Monday to a French national convicted of conducting espionage activities for his home country, according to reports from Russian state media RIA.
Officials in Azerbaijan say Martin Ryan, who was taken into custody in December 2023, was engaged in gathering classified intelligence regarding the nation’s defense partnerships with Turkey and Pakistan.
Authorities also allege Ryan worked to identify and enlist French-speaking residents of Azerbaijan to serve as informants for France’s intelligence services.
The defendant entered a partial guilty plea to the espionage charges brought against him.
