Baku: A decision has been issued regarding Martin Ryan, accused of spying for France, and Azad Mammadli, charged with high treason, APA reports. The Baku Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Murad Mammadov, reviewed the appeal filed against the verdict issued in the criminal case launched by the State Security Service (SSS). The court upheld the original verdict.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the verdict by the Baku Court for Grave Crimes on March 16 sentenced Martin Ryan to 10 years and Azad Mammadli to 12 years of imprisonment. Martin Ryan, the general director of 'Merkorama' LLC, faced charges under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli was charged under Article 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code.

Martin Ryan and Azad Mammadli were arrested by the State Security Service on December 4, 2023. The indictment detailed how Martin Ryan was allegedly recruited as an agent-spy by officers of France's DGSE (General Directorate for External Security). These officers, later expelled from Baku as persona non grata, instructed Ryan to obtain sensitive information including details on weapons and ammunition produced in Azerbaijan, military staffing during the 2020 44-day Patriotic War, and other strategic data.

The investigation revealed that Martin Ryan introduced Azad Mammadli to French intelligence officers in Baku, and Mammadli was allegedly promised foreign citizenship for performing specified tasks.