Azerbaijan's Aliyev pardons Frenchman Martin Ryan jailed for spying

September 23, 2026 at 12:38 PM2 min

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who was serving a 10-year sentence for espionage. The pardon decree was published on the presidential website on September 23, 2026. The move follows the EU's removal of Alisher Usmanov from sanctions lists, a decision France reportedly opposed.

Key Facts

Martin Ryan was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Baku Serious Crimes Court on March 16, 2026, for espionage on behalf of France.
Ryan was arrested in Baku on December 4, 2023, and was the general director of Merkorama LLC.
The pardon decree was signed after considering appeals from convicts, their family members, and Azerbaijan's Human Rights Commissioner.
The EU removed Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions lists on Tuesday evening, with France reportedly opposing Usmanov's removal.
The decree also pardoned Russian citizen Kirill Mikhailov, according to Minval.

The Pardon Decree

President Ilham Aliyev signed the pardon decree on September 23, 2026, citing humanitarian principles. The decree considered the convicts' personalities, family situations, health, the nature and severity of their crimes, and their behavior while serving sentences. Martin Ryan, born in 1988, was among those pardoned. Russian citizen Kirill Mikhailov was also included in the pardon list, according to Minval.

Espionage Conviction

Ryan was arrested on December 4, 2023, while serving as general director of Merkorama LLC. Investigators alleged he was recruited by France's DGSE foreign intelligence service and tasked with gathering information on Azerbaijani weapons, army composition during the 2020 war, and potential recruits. The Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to 10 years on March 16, 2026. Ryan and the French government categorically denied the espionage charges.

EU Sanctions Link

Western media linked Ryan's release to recent EU decisions on sanctions lists. The Financial Times reported that France opposed extending EU restrictions on Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov. The EU officially removed Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions lists on Tuesday evening. Luxembourg had sought Fridman's removal.