Azerbaijan Pardons Imprisoned French National After EU Lifts Sanctions on Russian Oligarch
President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French citizen jailed for espionage, a day after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French national who had been imprisoned in Azerbaijan on espionage charges, according to France 24. The pardon came a day after the European Union lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Diplomats cited in the report said the pardon followed pressure from Baku, suggesting a link between the timing of the EU's decision on Usmanov and Azerbaijan's move to release the Frenchman.
Sanctions and diplomatic pressure
Usmanov, a Russian billionaire, had been under EU sanctions imposed in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The circumstances surrounding the EU's decision to lift those sanctions were not fully detailed in the available report.
The French national's imprisonment in Azerbaijan had previously drawn attention amid broader tensions between France and Azerbaijan. Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years over various issues, including Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia and allegations of Azerbaijani interference in French overseas territories.
Neither the Azerbaijani presidency nor EU officials were quoted directly confirming a formal connection between the two decisions, though the sequence of events, the EU's move on Usmanov followed swiftly by Aliyev's pardon, was highlighted by diplomatic sources referenced in the report.
Further details on the identity of the pardoned individual and the specific terms of his release were not immediately available.
Sources
- Azerbaijan pardons jailed Frenchman after EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs — France 24 — English
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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