BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. The next trial session regarding the criminal case of Martin Ryan and Azad Mammadli, charged with spying for France, initiated by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, has been conducted, Trend reports.
During the session, which was presided over by Judge Elmin Rustamov and took place at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, Ryan answered his advocate's questions.
In response to the defense attorney’s question, "What was your purpose in contacting people who presented themselves as employees of the French embassy?" Ryan said that there were positive aspects to being in contact with them.
"I’m a businessman. Due to my work, I needed to have relations with the embassy. I saw this as a positive thing. Thanks to this, I established a wide network of contacts," he answered.
When asked by the lawyer, "How did you realize that those individuals were agents of intelligence services?" the defendant answered that he felt it when speaking to Frédéric Devos.
"It was evident from the questions he asked that he was with an intelligence agency. The people who spoke to me afterward also made this clear. Similarly, it was obvious from the questions and interests of the person in contact with Azad. This has also been reflected in the investigation materials," Ryan noted.
When the defense asked, "Why did you continue your relationship with them after realizing they were intelligence agents?" he responded that his main goal was to build relationships with people representing his own country.
"If you have a personal relationship with someone, it doesn’t necessarily have to involve benefit. My aim was to build friendly relations and ensure my security. There was never any talk of position, benefit, or financial gain," the defendant pointed out.
In response to further questions, Ryan said that had he informed the Azerbaijani intelligence services, he would have been betraying France.
"At the same time, I didn’t have enough evidence. But I should have informed the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If I had documents in hand, I wouldn’t be in prison now," he answered.
Ryan then answered questions from the lawyer of another defendant in the case, Azad Mammadli.
He told the lawyer that he met Mammadli in 2019.
"I met Azad in 2019 through a mutual friend. Azad had specific knowledge about Russia. That’s why he was of interest to them. I was the one who introduced Azad to them," Ryan said.
Then, Mammadli gave a voluntary statement in court.
"I did not provide information to the French embassy; I did not engage in espionage or carry out any assignments. Even though they tried, I did not give them a positive response. I even spoke to Martin by phone in August 2023. During that call, I told Martin that I had rejected their offer. I did not make any verbal or written agreements with the embassy staff. Unfortunately, Ryan gave false testimony during the investigation. He stated that I provided information about several employees of the university where I studied in Russia, but that never happened.
I even introduced one of my friends to Martin. We met in October 2023. But I had already rejected the embassy’s offer back in February 2023. I considered Martin a friend. I didn’t know he was a spy," Mammadli said.
He also said that one of the charges against him was related to the potential opening of the Zangezur Corridor.
"When I came to Baku in 2023, I met with Martin. During that meeting, I shared my personal opinion about the corridor. I told him that if the corridor was opened, I would prefer to see European rather than Russian troops stationed there.
I never applied for citizenship, nor was I offered it. While I’m
a defendant in this case, I am also a victim. Because Martin used
me to carry out illegal assignments given to him, and lured me into
a trap. My personal information was obtained without my
consent.
Ryan directly collaborated with embassy staff. He also recruited
nine Azerbaijani citizens. To do so, he first formed artificial
friendships with them.
I regret not informing the Azerbaijani intelligence services about
this in time," added Mammadli.
The trial will continue on May 19.
To note, Martin Ryan and others were arrested on December 4, 2023. Martin Rian, CEO of Mercorama LLC, was charged with espionage.
According to the indictment, Martin Ryan was used as a spy agent by employees of the French DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), who involved him in secret cooperation and were subsequently expelled from Baku as a "persona non grata."
Along with Martin Ryan, Azad Mammadli, a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, will stand trial in this criminal case on charges of "high treason."
As is known, on December 20, 2023, Bernard Emy, the chief of the French Directorate General of External Security (DGSE), was fired from his position following the revelation of a significant espionage network and operational deficiencies.
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