Baku: An appeal has been filed against the verdict issued in the criminal case launched by the State Security Service (SSS) against Martin Ryan, accused of spying for France, and Azad Mammadli, charged with high treason, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the preliminary hearing on the appeal has been scheduled for June 11 at the Baku Court of Appeal under the chairmanship of Judge Murad Mammadov. The appeal follows the verdict issued by the Baku Court for Grave Crimes on March 16, which sentenced Martin Ryan to 10 years and Azad Mammadli to 12 years of imprisonment.

The indictment outlines suspicions regarding Martin Ryan's engagement in activities to obtain sensitive information. This included details on weapons and ammunition produced in Azerbaijan, staffing of the Azerbaijani Army during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, and potential recruitment of Azerbaijani Armed Forces members. Additionally, Ryan was suspected of involvement with individuals educated in France, foreign nationals, and legal entities in Azerbaijan. There were also allegations of organizing covert money transfers on French intelligence instructions and gathering intelligence on Azerbaijan's relations with various countries.

The accused were arrested on December 4, 2023. The State Security Service charged Martin Ryan, the general director of 'Merkorama' LLC, under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The indictment suggests that Ryan acted as an agent for France's DGSE, leading to his expulsion from Baku as persona non grata. In the same case, Azad Mammadli faced charges under Article 274 (treason against the state) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.