Another court hearing has been held in the criminal case initiated at the State Security Service (SSS) against Martin Ryan, accused of espionage for France, and Azad Mammadli, charged with treason against the state, APA reports.
Witnesses testified during the hearing held at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Elmin Rustamov.
A witness identified as I.A. stated that he worked as a warehouse keeper at the “Bon Accord” company starting in 1997: “Since 1998, I have worked as a specialist at ‘Bon Accord.’ I currently serve as the head of that company. Since 1999, the company has mainly been engaged in pipe supply for the oil industry. We purchased pipes from Germany, Romania, and other countries.”
He said that his wife gave him Martin Ryan’s phone number:
“Another parent at the school had recommended Martin to my wife. Martin also spoke French. French was taught at the school as well. I said that my child’s French should improve. We enrolled our child in chess lessons with him. I had brief dialogues with Martin. In the autumn of 2021, Martin told me that he was also involved in the wine business. He said he was looking for a partner. I initially agreed. Then I consulted others and told Martin that I did not agree. Later, Martin brought wine from abroad. I bought two boxes of wine from him.
After that, we had another meeting. At the meeting, there was another person named Z.M. with Martin. He spoke French with Martin during the meeting.
Then I asked who would buy such expensive drinks. They told me that foreign embassies frequently hold events and that they would buy the products. After this meeting, Martin left with me. On the way, he asked whether I had any connection with the British Embassy. I told him that I had no such connection.”
Later, the witness referred to conversations between him and Martin within the framework of their dialogue, stating that Martin was interested in the company he headed. He said that he told Martin that the company’s main headquarters was located in France: “I told Martin that until 2019, the head office of the Azerbaijan branch of ‘Bon-Accord’ was located in the city of Marseille and that I used to travel frequently to France for this reason.”
After that, Martin asked which part of Marseille the office was located in, which country’s branch the company was, and what specific activities the company was engaged in. I replied that the office was located in the city of Vitrolles near Marseille, that it was a branch of a British company, and that it was engaged in the import and sale of pipes and fittings. Although the central office was located in Marseille from 2005 to 2019, in fact this company was part of an international group.
The witness also noted that in May 2023, Martin Ryan called him and proposed a meeting: “We met regarding the purchase and sale of generators. Martin was not alone. There was a woman who appeared to be of Russian nationality and a large-built, tall man with him. A proposal was made regarding importing and selling generators in the country. I analyzed that there are already enough people engaged in this business in Azerbaijan. Therefore, I did not agree. We also had a conversation about French companies.”
Later in the proceedings, another witness identified as I.I. testified. The witness stated that he works at Housing and Communal Maintenance Unit No. 80 in the city of Baku: “On December 4, 2023, together with my colleague, we participated as attesting witnesses, with our consent, during a search conducted by SSS officers based on a court decision at one of the apartments located on Jafar Khandan Street in the Binagadi district. While there, we learned that Azad Mammadli lived in that apartment. Then we were asked whether we knew Azad Mammadli, and we stated that we did not. After that, the apartment was searched in our presence and in the presence of the homeowner. During the search, flash drives, mobile phones, laptop computers, a large number of business cards, and other items were discovered.”
The next court hearing will be held on February 2.
According to the indictment, substantial suspicions have been identified regarding Martin Ryan’s receipt of instructions and activities aimed at obtaining information on weapons and ammunition produced in the Republic of Azerbaijan; the staffing of the Azerbaijani Army during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020; individuals serving in or discharged into the reserve of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces who could potentially be recruited as contacts; individuals educated in French abroad; foreign nationals and legal entities operating in Azerbaijan; the organization of covert money transfers through Azerbaijan to other countries on the instructions of the French intelligence service; relations and ties between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom, Algeria, Türkiye, Pakistan, Iran, China, Somalia, Central Asian states, and other countries; military cooperation plans; and information on weapons and ammunition imported into Azerbaijan.
Note that the accused persons were arrested on December 4, 2023. The State Security Service brought charges against Martin Ryan, the general director of “Merkorama” LLC, under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, Martin Ryan was used as an agent-spy by officers of France’s DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who had recruited him into covert cooperation and were later expelled from Baku after being declared persona non grata. In the same criminal case, alongside Martin Ryan, Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli has been charged under Article 274 (treason against the state) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
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