Azerbaijan releases French national after EU drops sanctions on Russian billionaire

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned a group of prisoners held in the country, including French national Martin Ryan, who had been convicted on espionage charges. His release came just one day after the European Union lifted sanctions on Russian-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov, a move driven by lobbying from Paris in Brussels.

A possible trade-off

According to the Financial Times, the removal of Usmanov from the sanctions list was reportedly connected to a broader arrangement that could lead to the release of additional French citizens currently detained in Azerbaijan. The exact terms of any such deal have not been made public, but the close timing of the two developments suggests a link between them.

France's growing role in the South Caucasus

Paris has in recent times sharply increased its involvement in the South Caucasus, backing Armenia, a democracy with pro-EU leanings that has been engaged in a decades-long conflict with Azerbaijan. This stance has fueled tension between the French and Azerbaijani governments, with the detentions of Ryan and other French nationals widely seen as tied to that broader political standoff.

By lifting sanctions on Usmanov and securing the release of detainees, Azerbaijan and France appear to be seeking ways to ease bilateral friction, even as the underlying regional dispute over Armenia remains unresolved.