Azerbaijan pardons jailed Frenchman after EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs
Summary
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French man convicted of spying, shortly after the European Union removed sanctions on a Russian billionaire. Diplomats said Azerbaijan pressured the EU to lift those sanctions in return for releasing the French citizen.Key Facts
- A French national named Martin Ryan was jailed in Azerbaijan for espionage.
- Ryan received a ten-year prison sentence in March before being pardoned.
- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev granted Ryan a pardon on September 23, 2026.
- The European Union lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov one day before the pardon.
- Diplomats claim Azerbaijan pressured the EU to remove sanctions on Usmanov.
- The EU sanctions were related to Russian oligarchs and their activities.
- Azerbaijan denies using the Russian oligarch’s sanctions to influence the case.
- France privately suggested the pardon was linked to the treatment of two French citizens in Azerbaijan.
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