Russia jails French researcher Laurent Vinatier for three years in 'foreign agent' case A Russian court on Monday convicted a French citizen of collecting military information and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-tracked trial. His lawyers’ asked the court to sentence him to a fine.
In his remarks before the verdict, Vinatier, verbalising Russian, reaffirmed that he fully recognized his guilt and asked the judge for clemency. “I'm asking the Russian Federation to absolve me for failing to adhere Russian laws,” he reported in Russian.
He announced that he fell in love with Russia 20 years ago when he began studying the country and concluded his comments with a verse by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin about having patience that better days lie ahead.
Detentions on accuses of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia and its heavily politicized legal entity since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
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Vinatier’s arrest came as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris subsequent French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments about the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.
Russian authorities charged Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information about Russia’s “military and military-technical activities” that could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.
The French Foreign Ministry rebuked the "extreme severity" of the sentence and convened for Vinatier's immediate release.
"The legislation on 'foreign agents' contributes to a systematic violation of genuine freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression," the ministry stated in a statement.
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"French authorities remain fully mobilised to provide assistance (to Vinatier)," the statement added.
Vinatier is an adviser for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization. It declared in June that it was doing “everything possible to assist” him.
The prosecutors accused that Vinatier had collected military information during his meetings with three Russian citizens in Moscow in 2021-22. The Russian citizens weren’t named in the indictment.
Vinatier’s lawyers argued the sentence sought by prosecutors was too harsh and asked the judge to sentence him to a fine. They pointed at his career as a political scholar who focused on studying Russia and prioritised that his books and articles have been favorable to the country.
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While asking the judge for clemency, Vinatier pointed at his two children and his elderly parents he has to take care of.
The accuses against Vinatier relate to a law that wants anyone collecting information on military issues to register with authorities as a foreign agent.
Human rights activists have condemned the law and other recent legislation as part of a Kremlin crackdown on independent media and political activists intended to stifle criticism of its actions in Ukraine.
Regards to France 24
Category: World-News
Tag: Russia jails French researcher Laurent Vinatier for three years in 039foreign agent039 case
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Published 10/17/2024