French National Martin Ryan Sentenced to 10 Years in Azerbaijan for Espionage

Martin Ryan, a French national, was convicted of spying for France in Azerbaijan and sentenced to 10 years. Accused of gathering military intelligence and recruiting locals, he denies the charges. Diplomatic tensions with France intensified amid COP29 fallout.

2026-03-17T01:28:59.165Z

A French national, Martin Ryan, has been sentenced to 10 years in a maximum-security prison in Azerbaijan after being found guilty of espionage.

Ryan was accused of collecting classified information on Azerbaijan’s military cooperation with Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and China-and of recruiting Azerbaijani nationals, including co-defendant Azad Mamedli, for French intelligence.

Both Ryan and France deny the allegations. Ryan told the court he acted unknowingly and admitted only to poor judgment in contacting embassy personnel.

France called his detention "arbitrary" and demanded his release. Diplomatic friction escalated after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned France’s handling of unrest in New Caledonia during COP29 in Baku-though both leaders later declared misunderstandings resolved after a meeting in Copenhagen.