Azerbaijan pardons Frenchman Martin Ryan after EU lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire Usmanov

​Azerbaijani President ​Ilham Aliyev pardoned ‌a French ​national imprisoned for espionage ‌on Wednesday, a day after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire ‌Alisher Usmanov following what diplomats ‌said was pressure from Baku. The Frenchman, Martin Ryan, had been serving ⁠a ​ten-year prison ⁠sentence in Baku following a conviction ⁠in March.

Three European diplomats told ​Reuters that Paris had indicated ⁠in private that Baku was using ⁠Usmanov ​to pressure it over the case of two ⁠French citizens held in Azerbaijan, an assertion ⁠rejected ⁠by Baku.