Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French citizen a day after the European Union lifted sanctions on a Russian billionaire following lobbying from Paris. Azerbaijan's President Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, jailed for espionage, as part of a deal in which France secured Usmanov's removal from the EU's Russia sanctions list. Key points and original sources are listed below.

• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French citizen a day after the European Union lifted sanctions on a Russian billionaire following lobbying from Paris.S1

• Azerbaijan's President Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, jailed for espionage, as part of a deal in which France secured Usmanov's removal from the EU's Russia sanctions list. Ryan is expected to fly to Paris on Wednesday.S2