French citizen sentenced to 10 years in Azerbaijan on espionage charges

Azerbaijan: Frenchman sentenced to 10 years for spying

3/16/2026, 10:36:00 AM en source ↗

Summary

A French citizen named Martin Ryan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Azerbaijani court after pleading guilty to some charges of collecting intelligence on behalf of France. The verdict is the latest flashpoint in the increasingly strained diplomatic relationship between Paris and Baku. France has been critical of Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, while Azerbaijan has accused France of interference in the region.

Preview

French citizen Martin Ryan pled guilty to some of the accusations that he was collecting intelligence on behalf of Paris.