Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has ordered the pardon and release of French national Martin Ryan, who was jailed on espionage charges. The decision came moments after the European Union announced that it was lifting sanctions on Russian and Uzbek billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman—an action spurred by diplomatic pressure from France and Slovakia and an outcome that has outraged Ukraine, which sees Moscow benefiting from what it deems a sense of impunity.
Ryan, who denied the espionage accusations, was sentenced to ten years in prison following a trial in March. Prosecutors had alleged that he collated information about Azerbaijan‑Turkey, Azerbaijan‑Iran, and Azerbaijan‑Pakistan ties, as well as companies linked to Russia and China, supposedly with aid from French security services. He has been one of twenty people, including Azerbaijanis and Turkish nationals, granted a pardon by Aliyev.
Another French national, Anass Derraz, remains imprisoned in Baku on charges of accepting a Russian bribe. Despite this, the broader diplomatic landscape has shifted: Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the EU decision, while Latvian officials declared that they would impose their own sanctions on the two oligarchs. Latvia’s prime minister noted that France’s President Emmanuel Macron had agreed to discuss Latvia’s participation in a French nuclear deterrence initiative.
France’s deteriorated relations with Azerbaijan had been rooted in its close ties to neighbouring Armenia, yet Macron recently engaged with Aliyev, who suggested a “new era” of cooperation. The pardon of Ryan therefore marks a significant moment in the evolving political dynamics between Europe, Azerbaijan and the lingering effects of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Amid the sanctions lift, the EU has extended its blacklist to more than 3,000 entities and individuals, but certain high‑profile names have been re‑listed, with new periods of restrictions set for three years. The ongoing tensions underscore the broader geopolitical strife that continues to shape diplomatic decisions across Eurasia.
