Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned Martin Ryan, a French national serving a 10-year prison sentence on spying charges. This decision was announced on Wednesday, following the European Union's lifting of sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, which diplomats attributed to pressure from Baku.
Ryan, who was arrested in 2023 and sentenced in March, was one of 20 individuals pardoned by Aliyev’s office, which included Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian-Israeli, and Pakistani nationals, according to reports from Reuters. Aliyev’s official website stated that the president considered factors such as their “personalities, state of health, family circumstances,” and other reasons in making the decision to grant pardons.
The French government expressed relief at the clemency granted to Ryan, describing it as “a humanitarian gesture” in a statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry noted that this outcome was the result of “patient and exacting dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities.” However, it remains unclear whether Ryan has been released from custody.
Prosecutors accused Ryan of gathering intelligence on Azerbaijan’s military relationships with Turkiye, Iran, and Pakistan, as well as on companies associated with Russia and China. Ryan, who also holds British citizenship, denied the allegations, with France asserting that they were false and calling for his immediate release, claiming he was caught in the diplomatic tensions between nations.
The removal of sanctions on Usmanov and fellow billionaire Mikhail Fridman marked the first instance of the EU lifting sanctions on wealthy Russians who had not publicly condemned the war in Ukraine. Usmanov, a former minority stakeholder in Arsenal football club, is known to have personal connections with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
European diplomats informed Reuters and AFP that France had privately suggested that Baku was leveraging Usmanov’s sanctions status to exert pressure on Paris regarding its detained citizens. Another French national, Anass Derraz, an employee of the French water company Saur, who was sentenced to 12 years on corruption charges, was not included in the pardons.
An Azerbaijani diplomat dismissed claims of a pressure campaign as “categorically unfounded.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented that the move indicated Russian efforts to undermine Western unity, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Moscow was “celebrating” the outcome, viewing it as a victory that fostered division among Europeans.
Latvia abstained from the vote on the sanctions and announced it would impose its own sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman, with Foreign Minister Baiba Braze labeling the EU's decision as “dangerous.” Slovakia initially advocated for Usmanov’s removal from the sanctions list, with France later supporting that position.
Relations between Baku and Paris have been historically tense due to France’s support for Armenia, while ties between Moscow and Baku have also soured following the accidental downing of an Azerbaijani passenger jet by Russian forces in December 2024.