Azerbaijan Frees French Spy, EU Lifts Sanctions on Oligarch
Baku pardoned a French national jailed for spying. This followed the EU removing sanctions on a Russian billionaire.
Key points
- Azerbaijan pardoned Martin Ryan, a French national jailed for spying, on Wednesday.
- The EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov one day prior to the pardon.
- France described the pardon as a humanitarian gesture resulting from diplomatic dialogue.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned Martin Ryan. Ryan is a French national. He was serving a 10-year sentence. The pardon happened on Wednesday. Ryan was charged with spying. He was arrested in 2023.
The release followed a move by the European Union. The EU lifted sanctions on Alisher Usmanov. This happened just one day before the pardon. Diplomats described pressure from Baku in this context. The timing suggests a diplomatic link.
Pardon follows diplomatic pressure
Ryan was one of 20 people pardoned. The group included Turkish and Russian citizens. Aliyev's office cited health reasons. They also cited family circumstances. France called the move a humanitarian gesture. Paris said it resulted from patient dialogue.
European diplomats told Reuters and AFP news agencies. They said France indicated Baku used sanctions pressure. They claimed Baku targeted Paris over detained citizens. An Azerbaijani diplomat rejected these claims. He called the suggestions unfounded.
EU sanctions removal divides Europe
The EU removed sanctions on Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. This was the first time for such figures. They had not condemned the war in Ukraine. Usmanov holds a stake in Arsenal. He graduated from a Moscow diplomatic school. He knows the presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the decision. He said it reflected Russian efforts to break Western unity. His foreign minister said Moscow wanted to humiliate the EU. Latvia abstained from the vote. It plans to impose its own sanctions.
Uncertainty over Ryan's release
It remains unclear if Ryan has been released. Prosecutors alleged he gathered military information. They said it involved Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. Ryan denied these charges. France called the allegations false. Paris argued he was caught in diplomatic crossfire.
Another Frenchman, Anass Derraz, was not pardoned. He was sentenced to 12 years for corruption. He worked for the water company Saur. Relations between Baku and Paris remain strained. This is due to France's support for Armenia. Ties with Moscow have also deteriorated recently.
