Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned 20 people, including French national Martin Ryan, who had been serving a ten-year prison sentence in Baku. The pardon was announced on Wednesday, a day after the European Union lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. According to Aliyev's website, the pardons were granted after considering the individuals' personalities, state of health, family circumstances, and other reasons.
Martin Ryan's pardon comes as a relief to his family and the French government, which had been pushing for his release. A senior diplomat in Brussels had told AFP that France had been instrumental in convincing the EU to lift sanctions on Usmanov, in an effort to secure the release of French prisoners held in Azerbaijan. The French government had been seeking the release of two French citizens, including Ryan, who was convicted in March.
The EU's decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and another Russian billionaire, Mikhail Fridman, was met with criticism from Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga expressed disappointment, saying that the move would give Moscow a sense of impunity and humiliate the EU. Sybiga urged EU member states to impose their own national sanctions on the two billionaires.
The EU's compromise deal to extend sanctions on Russia while dropping Usmanov and Fridman from the blacklist was seen as a victory for Baku. Azerbaijan had been using Usmanov's case to pressure the EU over the detention of its citizens. Three European diplomats told Reuters that Paris had indicated in private that Baku was using Usmanov to pressure it over the case of the two French citizens.
The pardon of Martin Ryan and 19 others is seen as a significant development in the region. The move is expected to ease tensions between Azerbaijan and the EU, which had been strained over the detention of EU citizens. The French government had been working closely with the EU to secure the release of its citizens.
The EU's decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman has sparked debate among European countries. While some countries, like France, had been pushing for the release of their citizens, others, like Ukraine, had been opposed to the move. The Ukrainian government had been arguing that the EU should instead be ratcheting up pressure on Moscow.
The pardon of Martin Ryan brings an end to a challenging period for his family and the French government. Ryan had been serving a ten-year prison sentence in Baku, and his release is seen as a significant achievement for the French government. The move is also expected to improve relations between Azerbaijan and the EU.
Key points
- Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev pardoned 20 people, including French national Martin Ryan, after EU lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
- The EU's decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman was met with criticism from Ukraine, which argued that it would give Moscow a sense of impunity.
- The pardon of Martin Ryan and 19 others is seen as a significant development in the region, expected to ease tensions between Azerbaijan and the EU.
