(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10 . The father of Frenchman Martin Ryan, who was arrested in Azerbaijan on suspicion of espionage, has revealed that his son was involved in espionage.

In an interview with the AFP news agency, Martin's father, Richard, let slip that during a phone conversation with his son, Martin noticed a link between his case and the diplomatic tension between France and Azerbaijan.

"One day he told me: they wanted to use me as a pawn," explained Richard Ryan, highlighting that his son "hinted at two exiled diplomats, thinking they could get away with it".

The question arises: how could French intelligence officers, who were expelled for espionage and had diplomatic immunity, want to use Martin Ryan "as a pawn"?

Azerbaijani authorities arrested Martin Ryan on espionage charges on December 4, 2023. The CEO of the Baku-based company Merkorama LLC Martin Ryan was manipulated by the French agent of the 2nd DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who engaged him in secret cooperation and was subsequently expelled from Baku.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to France Leyla Abdullayeva revealed that judicial authorities ordered his detention for a period of four months, adding that the French Embassy in Baku was immediately notified of the arrest.

Investigations and arrests carried out by the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan in early December 2023 resulted in the exposure in Azerbaijan of an extensive network of agents of French intelligence services.

Dozens of French spies were identified in a short period, some of whom had been operating in Azerbaijan at one point or another, and some of whom continued to work undercover in various countries and reputable international organizations.

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