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Azerbaijan jails Frenchman for 10 years for espionage

By Thomson Reuters Mar 16, 2026 | 4:32 AM

BAKU, March 16 (Reuters) – A court in Azerbaijan sentenced ​a French ‌citizen to ten years in prison on Monday after ‌finding ​him ⁠guilty of spying ⁠on behalf of Paris, Russian state news agency RIA ​reported.

Baku accuses the man, ⁠Martin Ryan, ⁠who was ​arrested in December ​2023, of collecting secret ‌information about its military cooperation with Turkey and ⁠Pakistan.

It also said he was helping to ⁠recruit ‌French-speaking Azerbaijanis ⁠to cooperate with ​French ‌intelligence.

Ryan pleaded ​partially guilty ⁠to the charge.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy PapachristouEditing by Andrew ​Osborn)