A trial has commenced in Baku for a French citizen accused of espionage.

Martin Ryan was arrested in December 2023. He led the trading company Merkorama, which has been operating in Baku since 2020. The firm also provided consulting services to other foreign companies regarding export and business operations in Azerbaijan.

According to the prosecution, Ryan gathered confidential information about Azerbaijan's military cooperation with Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, and was involved in recruiting Azerbaijanis to collaborate with French intelligence. Ryan admitted to carrying out the actions attributed to him, but claimed he did so unintentionally and was unaware that they could be considered criminal. His lawyer stated that his client was deceived by French intelligence services.

Alongside Ryan, Azerbaijani Azad Mammadov is also facing charges of treason. In court, he did not plead guilty.

Human rights advocates view the case against Ryan and Mammadov as politically motivated, indicates the "Caucasian Knot".

• Relations between France and Azerbaijan deteriorated after Paris supported Yerevan during the escalation of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2023. Armenia began purchasing armored vehicles from France, and in February 2024, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that Paris was ready to provide Armenia with missiles for air defense if necessary.
• In January 2024, the French Senate approved a resolution urging the European Union to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan due to Baku's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, and in May, mass riots broke out in New Caledonia (a French territory in the Pacific), with Paris accusing Azerbaijan of involvement. Azerbaijani politicians dismissed these claims as unfounded.