French businessman Martin Ryan's espionage case heads to Azerbaijan's Supreme Court
Martin Ryan, a French national convicted of spying for Paris, will have his appeal heard by Azerbaijan's Supreme Court, while he remains incarcerated in Lankaran prison.
Azerbaijan's Supreme Court will examine the appeal of French businessman Martin Ryan, convicted of spying for Paris and sentenced to a decade in prison. Ryan, aged 38, has been detained in Lankaran prison, a contemporary facility located about 250 kilometres south of Baku and close to the Iranian frontier. He is permitted a 15-minute weekly conversation with his father, Richard Ryan, who reports that the prison offers amenities such as air-conditioning, a canteen and a gym, and that his son appears healthy despite being housed with dangerous criminals.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the appellate decision as arbitrary and urged Ryan's immediate one outlet. Authorities allege that Ryan was recruited by French intelligence officers attached to the embassy in Baku, who were later expelled.
Why it matters
The case highlights diplomatic tensions over alleged espionage and raises concerns about legal fairness for foreign nationals.
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