Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned French national Martin Ryan, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence on espionage charges, as part of a broader clemency order for 20 individuals. The move follows significant diplomatic maneuvers, occurring just a day after the European Union lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov—a decision influenced by pressure from Baku and backed by France, despite sharp criticism from Ukrainian and Baltic officials who view the sanctions removal as a blow to Western unity.