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Abbas Ganbay

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Recently, Armenian bloggers have started spreading different versions of information about French spy Martin Ryan detained in Baku on December 4, Azernews reports. Armenian-born journalist Leo Nikolyan speaking to Kernews spilled the beans about detained Ryan, saying that, Martin is a Frenchman who wanted to make a big fortune for himself.

"Seeing all the problems existing in France with taxes and different standards, he wanted to go elsewhere. He hesitated between several countries, especially Canada, the United States, or even Russia, where things are going well economically, but also Armenia, Dubai, or Qatar. He was interested in the developing country of Azerbaijan. Baku is the pearl of the Caucasus, the capital of Azerbaijan, with a Turkic-speaking population. It is a secular country that has developed and enriched itself enormously. So, Martin moved there five years ago. So, after studying the market, he decided to settle in Azerbaijan because restaurants and cafes are growing like mushrooms there, more than in Paris.

Martin decided to bring them high-quality products made in France, especially for sauces. He starts his business in Mercorama. Everything goes well for him, he earns a living and gets engaged to a beautiful woman. However, since France has a significant Armenian community, this affects French foreign policy. The president of the republic, Emmanuel Macron, has a position on Armenia, and Azerbaijan is unhappy because of this situation."

According to the journalist, French intelligence services visited Martin Ryan last year.

"These are two diplomats of the French embassy. They have a diplomatic passport, because you must know that all embassies have several employees and some under diplomatic cover are spies. The US has the CIA, Israel has the Mossad, Russia has the FSB, and France has the DGSE... These two people from the DGSE go to him, introduce themselves, and ask him to work for them. Martin refuses, however these men tell him that he has no choice or his parents will have an accident. They also threaten to ruin his company by blocking his goods coming from France at customs. Martin initially refused to cooperate with them, but then he had to give in under pressure," he said.

According to him, Martin Ryan distributed food products, and bases for making sauces for all restaurants in Baku.

"All embassies are in the capital. The Iranian restaurant is frequented by diplomats and the Iranian community. The American restaurant is frequented by American embassy staff. His informants are restaurant owners who are Martin's clients. Martin Ryan was under surveillance by Azerbaijani special services, he was arrested, and his cell phone was confiscated and searched. He has been in preventive detention since December 4. Two French agents could not be arrested because they were diplomats with immunity and were expelled from Azerbaijan. France responded by expelling two diplomats from Azerbaijan. It's an eye for an eye. And Martin Ryan, a simple businessman, has no diplomatic immunity. He has become a victim of French foreign policy," the journalist believes.

"I am outraged that our government does nothing. I hope that our new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will move in this direction. Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has asked Azerbaijan for the release of a French citizen, even though it was she, through her ministry and her embassy, who lured this man into this trap! The French state is responsible for this situation. We intimidated the French citizen and put pressure on his family," Nikolyan concluded.

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