French national Martin Ryan has been freed from imprisonment in Azerbaijan following a presidential pardon issued by President Ilham Aliyev. Ryan had been detained since December 2023 and received a 10-year sentence last March on espionage charges, which he consistently denied. The pardon came as part of a broader decree that freed 20 individuals, including other Azerbaijanis and Turkish nationals.
Ryan’s release occurred within hours of the European Union agreeing to remove sanctions from two Russian-connected billionaires: Alisher Usmanov, a Russian-Uzbek metals and mining magnate, and Mikhail Fridman, a Russian-Israeli oligarch. Both men have been subject to EU restrictions since 2022. France had advocated for the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov, citing national security concerns, while Slovakia initially pressed for his removal from the sanctions list. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha strongly objected to the decision, characterizing it as emboldening Russia and creating divisions within the European Union.
Larvia initially opposed the sanctions removal but chose to abstain from the vote, announcing instead plans to impose its own measures against the two billionaires. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže stated the decision was dangerous and sent an inappropriate message given Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs subsequently announced that France’s President Emmanuel Macron had agreed to begin discussions regarding Latvia’s participation in the French nuclear deterrence initiative.
Ryan had been accused by prosecutors of collaborating with French security service employees in Baku and collecting information regarding Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relations with Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, as well as entities connected to Russia and China. He maintained his innocence throughout his trial. Another individual tried alongside Ryan, Azad Mamedli, received a 12-year sentence and was not included in the pardon. Additionally, a second French citizen, Anass Derraz, continues to be imprisoned in Azerbaijan on charges related to accepting a Russian bribe.
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