"The citizen of France, suspected of having committed acts of espionage, was arrested in Azerbaijan," the Abassador of Azerbaijan to France Leyla Abdullayeva told AFP, Ednews reports.
"Suspected of having committed acts of espionage, Martin Ryan, a French national, was arrested on December 4, 2023," said Azerbaijan's Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva.
According to the diplomat, the judicial authorities had ordered him to be detained for a period of four months.
The French embassy in Baku was notified as soon as he was arrested, the Ambassador added.
Ryan's father Richard said the family had spoken to him.
"We spoke to him four times, each time for two minutes. He says he's being treated well and is getting on well with his lawyer," he told AFP.
Note that Azerbaijan has declared two French diplomats "persona non grata", and France took the same step regarding two Azerbaijani diplomats in reciprocation.