Azerbaijan pardons French citizen Martin Ryan after EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarch
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned French national Martin Ryan, detained since late 2023, hours after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has issued a presidential decree pardoning French businessman Martin Ryan, who had been detained in Baku on espionage charges since late 2023. Ryan was the sole French national among 20 individuals included in the pardon list released on Wednesday.
The decision occurred hours after the European Union removed Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov from its sanctions list. Diplomatic sources indicated that France had pushed for the removal of restrictions on Usmanov, leading to negotiations that facilitated Ryan's release. The EU's decision to lift sanctions on two Russian businessmen drew criticism from Ukraine.
Sources: BBC News, Le Monde, Libération, Politico Europe (Defense)
Sources
- Libération — Azerbaïdjan : grâce présidentielle pour le Français emprisonné Martin Ryan
- Le Monde — L’Azerbaïdjan gracie le Français emprisonné Martin Ryan, selon un décret présidentiel
- Politico Europe (Defense) — Azerbaijan frees French prisoner after EU lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire
- BBC News — Azerbaijan pardons Frenchman after EU lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire