Rights defenders treat the case of Ryan and Mamedli as politicized

The information on the espionage case against Martin Ryan and treason against Azad Mamedli is completely closed, while in Azerbaijan such accusations are often politically motivated.

Martin Ryan, a French citizen, was detained on December 4, 2023, on suspicion of espionage for the French intelligence service. He pleaded not guilty and stated that he was "deceived by the French secret services." The second defendant in the case is Azad Mamedli, an Azerbaijani citizen. He worked as a lawyer at the International Bank of Azerbaijan; and in 2023 he moved to the UK. He is accused of treason.

The details of the charges against Martin Ryan and Azad Mamedli are closed, said Samad Ragimli, the head of the "Defender" Legal Centre.

"All that is known is that the Frenchman was engaged in entrepreneurial activity in Azerbaijan," Mr Ragimli has noted.

As for the charge against Azad Mamedli, Samad Ragimli believes that there are problems with "the proofs" in Azerbaijan's judicial practice for treason charges.

"There must be compelling grounds for bringing charges of 'treason' ... The Criminal Code has an article on disclosing 'state secrets' ... In this case, according to media reports, Mamedli is accused of passing classified information to France. There are diplomatic tensions with this country, but this does not mean that Azerbaijan is at war with France. 'Treason' implies going over to the enemy's side during military operations or passing on military information to the enemy that can be used to the detriment of Azerbaijan's security. From this viewpoint, the legitimacy of bringing charges of 'treason' against Mamedli is questionable," Mr Ragimli has noted.

He pointed out that there were political motives in the treason cases opened in Azerbaijan, in particular, in the cases of researchers Bakhruz Samedov, Igbal Abilov, and journalist Polad Aslanov.

"The criminal case coincided with the aggravation of Azerbaijani-French relations. In Azerbaijan, they believe that France is arming Armenia," said Emin Guseinov, exiled human rights defender. Treason cases in Azerbaijan always raise questions from the viewpoint of compliance with the law, since the very concept of 'treason' in the Criminal Code is vague," Mr Guseinov has added.