Azerbaijan pardons Frenchman after EU lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire

French national Martin Ryan has been pardoned and his release from prison ordered by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after he was jailed on charges of spying.

His release came hours after the EU agreed to lift sanctions on two Russian billionaires, prompting anger from Ukraine. Diplomats had indicated that France had pushed for an end to restrictions on one of the businessmen, Alisher Usmanov.

Ryan, who denied espionage, is one of 20 people pardoned by Aliyev.

However, a second Frenchman, Anass Derraz, remains in jail in Azerbaijan accused of accepting a Russian bribe.

It was not clear what had led to pressure for sanctions on Russian-Uzbek billionaire Usmanov to be lifted - the EU also agreed to take Russian-Israeli oligarch Mikhail Fridman off its sanctions list.

Slovakia is understood to have pressed for Usmanov's name to removed initially, and France then backed the move, highlighting national security concerns.

Both men have been under EU embargo since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and until now EU sanctions on more than 3,000 "individuals and entities" have had to be renewed every six months. The latest agreement extends the sanctions on the others for three years.

Usmanov was cited by the EU in its 2022 listing as having "particularly close ties" to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and of having "supported materially or financially and benefited from Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine".

The metals and mining billionaire denied this characterisation of him. He has also been sanctioned by the UK and US governments.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha bitterly criticised the EU decision to lift sanctions on the two men, complaining that Moscow was "celebrating, because it got what it wanted: a sense of impunity, the humiliation of the EU, and division among Europeans".

Latvia had initially opposed the move, but decided to abstain, announcing instead that it would impose its own measures on the two men.

Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said it was "dangerous and sends completely the wrong signal at a time when Russia's behaviour is becoming more aggressive". Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said later that France's President Emmanuel Macron had agreed to start talks on Latvia's "accession to the French nuclear deterrence initiative".

French relations with Azerbaijan have been poor in recent years, largely because of France's close relations with neighbouring Armenia. However, in May, Macron discussed developing ties with Aliyev, who later spoke of a "new era" in their relations.

Under Aliyev's decree on Wednesday, Ryan is one of 20 people including Azerbaijanis and Turks given a pardon.

Detained in December 2023, he was handed a 10-year jail term last March for espionage, charges denied by the French government.

Prosecutors alleged he had co-operated with employees of France's security services in Baku and gathered information about Azerbaijan's relations with Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, as well as companies linked to Russia and China.

"I did not spy. I am not a spy, and during the court case I tried to prove this," Ryan had told the court.

Another man he went on trial with, Azad Mamedli, was given 12 years in jail. Mamedli was not among the 20 prisoners pardoned by Aliyev.