Azerbaijan releases French citizens after sanctions dispute

The arrest in December 2023 took place against the background of significant diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Aliyev had accused France of starting a new war in the Caucasus by supplying arms to Armenia. Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought several wars in the past, but have recently come closer together in a peace process that has not yet been completed.

On Tuesday, shortly before a deadline expired, the EU countries agreed to extend their Russia sanctions against around 3,000 people and organizations by 36 months - with two exceptions: The Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman will be removed from the sanctions list, according to diplomatic circles. Azerbaijan sees Usmanov, who is an Uzbek citizen, as a representative of the Turkic-speaking world and thus justifies its commitment to Usmanov.

Within the EU, France, among others, pushed for the sanctions to be lifted. Paris justified its demand on matters of “national security” without publicly giving any details. A senior diplomat in Brussels told AFP that Paris had linked its demand to a possible deal on French citizens held in Azerbaijan. This has now apparently led to Ryan's release. In total, Aliyev pardoned 20 people.