Azerbaijani President pardons French citizen Martin Ryan

By decree of the President of Azerbaijan regarding the pardon of convicts, French citizen Martin Ryan has been released. Ryan, who was the general director of the company Mercorama, was arrested in December 2023 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage. Ryan himself denied the charges. 1TV+3

According to information circulated in the media, the release of Martin Ryan is linked to the European Union's decision to lift sanctions on Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov. According to Reuters, European diplomats indicated that Baku was using the issue of Usmanov's sanctions to exert pressure on France, which an Azerbaijani official calls "categorically unfounded." According to 1tv, Paris's request to remove Usmanov from the list was granted, although restrictions on other sanctioned individuals were extended for 36 months. 1TV+3

The French side refused to explain the specific reasons for the request to lift sanctions on Usmanov, noting that it is related to a "specific national security issue." Another French citizen detained in Azerbaijan, Anass Deraz, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence on corruption charges, was not included in the list of those pardoned. Radio Tavisupleba+1

Relations between Azerbaijan and France became strained after Paris supported Yerevan in the Karabakh conflict and intensified military cooperation with Armenia. Radio Tavisupleba