
Azerbaijan pardons French national jailed for spying
The move comes after the EU lifts sanctions on oligarchs following what diplomats described as pressure from Baku.

The move comes after the EU lifts sanctions on oligarchs following what diplomats described as pressure from Baku.

Formula 1 heads to Baku this week for an unusually early Azerbaijan GP weekend, with all of the on-track action shifted forward by a day. Free practice begins on Thursday, qualifying takes place on Friday and the grand prix itself will be held on Saturday. The change was requested because Azerbaijan marks Remembrance Day on Sunday, September 27. Kimi Antonelli arrives in Baku firmly in ... Keep reading

Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar will return to the Formula 1 grid at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, sporting the special helmet design originally commissioned for the Dutch Grand Prix. The delayed debut of the helmet follows a three-race absence for the French-Algerian driver after he sustained a wrist injury during the summer break. Having now recovered, he will step into the cockpit ... Keep reading

BAKU: Frenchman Isack Hadjar will continue to drive alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen in an unchanged line-up at Red Bull next season, the Formula One team said on Wednesday. The 21-year-old, who stepped up to the championship-winning team this year after an impressive debut season with Racing Bulls, has scored points in 8 of the 11 races he has taken part in, including a third-place finish in Monaco. Hadjar, eighth in the overall standings with 71 points, missed the last three races with a wrist injury but is set to make his comeback at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "We're very excited to continue our journey with Isack," said team principal Laurent Mekies in a statement. "Since joining us at the start of the year, he has been superb on and off track, especially considering this is only his second Formula One season, which made extending his contract an easy decision." Hadjar's contract extension comes after Red Bull agreed a new deal with Verstappen last month. The Dutchman is set to stay at the Milton Keynes-based outfit until the end of 2030. "From the moment I signed, I set out to dedicate myself to the team, and with the support of Laurent and everyone in Milton Keynes, I've been able to justify the faith they've had in me," said Hadjar. "I'm constantly looking to listen, learn and push myself further every single day, which only makes me more excited about what lies ahead," he added.

On 24 September, two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi will join us in the Baku paddock to answer Autosport readers' questions ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. In a remarkable career that span across three decades with even further outings, Fittipaldi not only clinched the F1 title with Lotus and McLaren in 1972 and 1974 but also won the IndyCar championship in ... Keep reading

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday pardoned a French national imprisoned for espionage a day after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov following what diplomats said was pressure from Baku.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has stressed the importance of executing weekends more cleanly after a costly run of results for the team at recent races.

Formula 1 returns to familiar ground this weekend as Azerbaijan celebrates its 10th anniversary of being on the calendar. The Baku street circuit first entered as the European Grand Prix in 2016 before running as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 2017, featuring every season bar the COVID-struck 2020 campaign. It has produced many memorable moments from Daniel Ricciardo’s mega win from 10th ... Keep reading

Isack Hadjar will return to Red Bull for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku after recovering from a wrist injury, as Liam Lawson moves back to the Racing Bulls Formula 1 team. Hadjar had injured his wrist in training over the summer break and, following medical advice, was told to avoid driving to manage his recovery. Lawson therefore deputised for the Frenchman at Red Bull ... Keep reading

Isack Hadjar will return to Red Bull for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku after recovering from a wrist injury, as Liam Lawson moves back to Racing Bulls. Hadjar had injured his wrist in training over the summer break and, following medical advice, was told to avoid driving to manage his recovery. Lawson thus deputised for the Frenchman at Red Bull, starting with the Dutch Grand ... Keep reading

McLaren have confirmed they will bring more upgrades to this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where they are expecting a four-way battle for victory with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
Click to expand Image Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in Nagorno-Karabakh de facto administration, attending a court hearing in Baku, Azerbaijan, February 17, 2026. Screen grab taken from a video. © 2026 Reuters TV via Reuters Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto administration who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan, says that he and 18 other Armenian prisoners are being denied regular family contact, adequate exercise, medical tests, and other rights provided under Azerbaijani law. In an audio appeal recorded on September 16 and published two days later, Vardanyan addressed Azerbaijan's human rights commissioner, Sabina Aliyeva. He said some prisoners at Umbaki prison do not receive weekly phone calls and none can make video calls. "When my cellmate was arrested, his child was 10 months old," Vardanyan said. "Now the child is more than 3 years old and has not seen his father." Vardanyan said he has been unable to get medical tests even at his own expense, access notary services, or receive written responses to complaints. He said prisoners get only 20 to 40 minutes of outdoor exercise once a week, rather than an hour a day. Human Rights Watch has not independently verified these allegations. On September 19, Aliyeva’s office rejected the allegations that the prisoners’ rights were being violated. The prisoners' contact with their families became more difficult after the Azerbaijani government closed down the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation there in September 2025. The ICRC says Geneva-based representatives visited detainees in December, met them privately, offered opportunities to communicate with their families, and assessed their treatment and detention conditions. However, visits are now less regular. Vardanyan was detained in September 2023 while leaving Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, along with more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians who fled following Azerbaijan's military takeover of the region. The Baku Military Court sentenced him on February 17, 2026, on charges including terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The proceedings raised serious fair trial concerns. Civilians, including Vardanyan, were tried before a military court in hearings largely closed to independent scrutiny. Amnesty International reported that evidence was presented in a language the defendants didn’t understand and was not adequately translated. Azerbaijan should ensure that all prisoners can maintain regular family contact, receive letters and permitted parcels, obtain necessary medical care, and have adequate daily outdoor exercise. It should also allow the ICRC regular access to conflict-related detainees. "Regardless of how much longer we spend in Umbaki," Vardanyan said, "I ask you, at least comply with your own laws."

A recent visit to the Caucasus region reveals a country exposed to two wars, but also one that must not wait to chart its economic and diplomatic future.
Published at 0500PDT / 1200GMT 21SEP26 Azerbaijan Airlines in recent schedule update filed expanded Airbus A321neo aircraft service, including additional 5 routes to be served on regular scheduled basis by the 191-seater. Baku – Almaty eff 04NOV26 Minimum 2 weekly Baku – Barcelona eff 01NOV26 4 weekly (2-3 weekly in Dec 2026) Baku – Delhi eff 01NOV26 1 weekly (except selected weeks) Baku – London Heathrow eff 24NOV26 1 weekly Baku – Paris Charles de Gaulle eff 01NOV26 3 weekly (except selected weeks in Dec 2026)

Craig Slater breaks down the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, including why the race takes place on a Saturday, while doing his best Craig David impression!

Armenian low cost carrier FlyOne Armenia will launch a new two weekly service between Yerevan and Belgrade during the upcoming winter season. Flights will commence on December 15 and operate on Tuesdays and Fridays with an Airbus A320 aircraft. The carrier will face no direct competition on the route. Tickets are now available for purchase through the airline’s website, while further flight details can be found here . Services are currently scheduled until the end of the 2026/27 winter season, in late March. The new service will mark the first time the Serbian and Armenian capitals have been linked by scheduled nonstop flights. FlyOne Armenia commenced operations in 2021 and is affiliated with Moldova’s FlyOne. Based at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, the airline operates scheduled and charter flights to destinations across Europe, Russia and the Middle East, primarily using Airbus A320-family aircraft. The development comes after Air Serbia said it plans to launch flights to Yerevan , following the success of its services to Tbilisi and Baku, both of which were introduced over the past year and a half. However, the Serbian carrier has also said it aims to attract more partner airlines to Belgrade, generating additional transfer traffic for its own network. FlyOne Armenia’s arrival time is timed to connect with Air Serbia’s afternoon departure wave. EX-YU Aviation News
Published at 2300PDT 17SEP26 / 0600GMT 18SEP26 Azerbaijan Airlines from late-September 2026 plans to resume Baku – Astrakhan service, on board Embraer E190 aircraft. Last served until February 2025, the airline will operate 3 weekly flights from 30SEP26. J28235 GYD0735 – 0900ASF E90 357 J28236 ASF1000 – 1125GYD E90 357

Baku has implemented a simplified visa entry procedure for international visitors planning to attend the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. From 25 August to 30 September, eligible travellers can obtain a visa on arrival at the country’s international airports.

The 2026 Formula 1 campaign is reaching its end with 14 of the currently scheduled 23 rounds now complete after last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli took the chequered flag in Madrid on Sunday, which marked an end to the European leg of the calendar, with Azerbaijan up next before a series of Asian and American flyaway races. But the Baku contest is taking place on a Saturday ... Keep reading

Paris could be bartering with Baku to free a French businessman jailed for spying, in return for dropping EU sanctions against a Russian oligarch with friends in high places.