In brief
In a surprising turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered the release of French national Martin Ryan, jailed on espionage charges, after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. Ryan’s conviction remains contested, with France denying spying. The move angered Ukraine, which views the sanction removal as a boost to Moscow. Meanwhile, a second Frenchman, Anass Derraz, remains imprisoned over alleged bribe‑taking. Syria’s and Latvia’s diplomatic reactions emphasise the complex geopolitical stakes.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned French national Martin Ryan, who was jailed on espionage charges, after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
Ryan’s release came hours after the European Union announced the removal of sanctions on the two businessmen—an action that has sparked fury in Ukraine, where officials accuse the move of giving Moscow a sense of impunity.
French authorities claim Ryan was never a spy, and the French government has denied the accusations. Still, he remains a contentious figure, having been convicted in March 2023 on a 10‑year sentence for allegedly collaborating with French security services in Baku and gathering intelligence about Azerbaijan’s ties with Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.
While Ryan was pardoned, a second French citizen, Anass Derraz, continues to be held in Azerbaijan on charges of accepting a bribe from a Russian source. The dual fates of the two men highlight the complex interplay between espionage allegations and international sanctions.
The EU’s sanction decision followed intense lobbying, with Slovakia initially pushing for the removal of Usmanov’s sanctions and France subsequently backing the move due to national security concerns. The sanctions had been in place since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and were due to be renewed every six months; the latest agreement extends them for three years.
Alisher Usmanov, a metals and mining billionaire, denied the EU’s description of him as closely tied to President Vladimir Putin. He has also faced sanctions from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the EU’s move, claiming it rewards Moscow’s aggression and undermines European unity. Latvia, which had previously opposed the sanction lifting, chose to abstain and announced its own sanctions against the two Russian businessmen.
French‑Azerbaijani relations have been strained, partly due to France’s close ties with Armenia. However, President Emmanuel Macron recently engaged with President Aliyev, signalling a possible shift towards a new era in their diplomatic engagement.
The pardon list issued by Aliyev on Wednesday also included 20 other individuals, such as Azerbaijanis and Turks, in addition to Ryan.
Ryan, who was detained in December 2023, was sentenced to ten years for espionage—charges he continually denies. The trial included fellow defendant Azad Mamedli, who received a 12‑year sentence but was not pardoned.
