
Martin Ryan was pardoned by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev following diplomatic lobbying involving Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
French citizen Martin Ryan was released from an Azerbaijani prison after being pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev, following reports that Paris successfully lobbied to lift EU sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
AI-generated summary
Martin Ryan was convicted of espionage charges in Azerbaijan amid heightened diplomatic tensions involving France and the South Caucasus.
French citizen Martin Ryan is being released from Azerbaijani prison, one day after Paris successfully lobbied Brussels to lift sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Ryan, who was convicted of espionage charges, was one of several individuals pardoned by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.
The Financial Times reported that the delisting was part of a deal that could see French nationals released from detention in Azerbaijan. Paris has significantly stepped up its role in the South Caucasus in support of Armenia, a pro-EU democracy that has spent decades locked in conflict with Azerbaijan.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week the push to remove sanctions on Usmanov was a matter of national security.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized the decision to delist Usmanov and banking magnate Mikhail Fridman, calling it “shameful and unjustifiable.”
This developing story will be updated.

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