Official Baku strongly rejects the statement of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs dated July 30, which questions the court process regarding the verdict issued against French citizen Martin Ryan and contains baseless accusations against Azerbaijan.
Modern.az reports that these thoughts were included in the commentary of Aykhan Hajizade, press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, regarding the statement of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs on the verdict of Martin Ryan.
A. Hajizade noted that the criminal case against Martin Ryan was investigated in accordance with Azerbaijani legislation, and the court made a decision based on the evidence presented and the charges brought against him.
According to him, the decision of the appellate instance is also the result of a court process carried out within the framework of Azerbaijani legislation:
"In this regard, it is unacceptable for the French side to politicize court processes, make statements that interfere with the activities of Azerbaijani courts, and make claims about "unjustified detention" and "unfair court investigation." During the court process, the procedural rights of the accused were ensured in accordance with Azerbaijani legislation and the country's international obligations. The participation of consular representatives of the French embassy in all court sessions once again confirms that the process was carried out transparently."
Official Baku called on the French side to respect Azerbaijan's sovereignty, internal affairs and independent judicial system, as well as to refrain from baseless accusations that harm bilateral relations.
It should be noted that Martin Ryan, accused of espionage for France, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the verdict of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. On July 29, the court process on the appeal against the verdict issued in the criminal case initiated by the State Security Service (DTX) was completed. According to the decision, the complaint filed by the defense was not satisfied, and the verdict of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes was upheld.
