France wants spy back in exchange for delisting Russian tycoon – media

France is pressing the EU to lift sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov in exchange for several of its citizens detained in Azerbaijan, including a man convicted of spying for Paris, according to media reports.

Last week, France unexpectedly broke ranks with most EU members and joined Slovakia in refusing to back an extension of sanctions on Russia unless Usmanov was removed from the blacklist. Bratislava had already been holding up the renewal, demanding the delisting of Usmanov and fellow Russian businessman Mikhail Fridman.

The dispute has stalled the renewal of the sanctions, which target more than 3,000 individuals and entities, forcing the bloc to extend the restrictions until September 22 while negotiations continue. If ambassadors fail to reach an agreement by then, the entire sanctions regime could legally expire.

Paris has officially given little explanation for its position beyond citing

“national security”

concerns.

On Monday, however, the Financial Times and Euronews reported, citing diplomatic sources, that French demands are linked to efforts to secure the release of several of French citizens currently held by Baku.

Azerbaijan has itself repeatedly lobbied for Usmanov’s removal from the blacklist, as the billionaire has maintained longstanding and warm ties with the country’s leadership and the wider Turkic world.

It is unclear exactly how many French nationals are detained in Azerbaijan, although at least two are publicly known.

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Businessman Martin Ryan was arrested in Baku in 2023 and sentenced earlier this year to ten years in prison for espionage. Azerbaijani prosecutors accused him of working with French intelligence to gather information on the country’s military and foreign relations. Paris has rejected the charges.

Another French entrepreneur, Anass Derraz, is also serving a nine-year sentence in a separate bribery case.

It is unclear if the two men are covered by the reported negotiations.

Azerbaijan and other Turkic nations have repeatedly backed efforts to remove Usmanov from EU sanctions. A letter reportedly sent by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier this year named Baku among several governments supporting the businessman’s delisting.

Usmanov, an Uzbek-born Russian billionaire with major interests in metals, mining, and telecommunications, was sanctioned by the EU in February 2022 over his alleged ties to President Vladimir Putin and interests in sectors Brussels says provide substantial revenue to the Russian government.

He has denied the allegations and repeatedly challenged the restrictions in European courts. He has also recently won several defamation cases in Germany over media claims concerning his alleged Kremlin ties.