Frenchman detained and accused of espionage in Azerbaijan

A French national was arrested on December 4 in Azerbaijan, where he is accused of espionage, Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Paris told AFP on Tuesday January 9. “Suspected of having committed acts of espionage, Martin Ryan (…) was arrested on December 4,” said Leyla Abdullayeva. “Later, the courts ordered his detention for a period of four months”she explained, emphasizing that “as soon as he was arrested, the French embassy in Baku was informed by a note verbale”.

“We spoke with him four times, each time for two minutes. He says he is treated well and gets along well with his lawyer.”explained his father, Richard Ryan, to AFP.

This arrest comes as diplomatic tensions escalated between Paris and Baku at the end of December, with the mutual expulsion of several diplomats. For several months, Azerbaijan has criticized France for supporting Armenia, a neighboring country with which it is in conflict, particularly over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

For its part, Paris had accused actors linked to Azerbaijan in November of having led a disinformation campaign aimed at damaging France’s reputation in its ability to host the 2024 Olympic Games. According to his father, Martin Ryan sees a link between his file and these diplomatic tensions.