Laurent Vinatier, a researcher at a conflict mediation organization, has been arrested on suspicion of violating Russia’s “foreign agents” law.
Russian investigators claim that the French researcher has admitted to criminal charges related to collecting classified military information.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Wednesday that Laurent Vinatier pleaded guilty during questioning to illegally collecting classified military information while failing to register as a foreign agent. The French researcher was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) last month, joining a growing list of Western citizens detained in Moscow.
“The French national pleaded guilty to a criminal case of illegally collecting information on Russian military activities,” the investigative committee said in a statement. “During questioning, he made full admissions to his guilt.”
In a statement, the FSB further raised Western concerns by declaring that Vinatier, a long-time employee of the Russian NGO Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), had “collected military and military-technical information that could undermine the national security of the Russian Federation.”
The charges against him could reportedly carry a prison sentence of up to five years.
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The arrest of the 47-year-old researcher comes amid rising tensions between Moscow and Paris and calls from French President Emmanuel Macron for a tougher stance on the Ukraine war.
Following their arrest, Macron insisted that the Swiss-based conflict mediation group HD officials had never worked for the French government, said the “propaganda” against them “does not correspond to reality” and demanded their immediate release.
However, a court last month remanded him in pre-trial detention until August 5.
Russia has not accused or publicly accused Vinatier of collaborating with foreign intelligence services or directly engaging in espionage.
But authorities have previously arrested people for violating “foreign agents” laws before charging them with more serious crimes.
The investigative committee said seven witnesses had been questioned about Vinatier’s attempts to gather military information.
“A linguistic forensic examination is planned based on the audio recordings of these meetings,” the commission said in a statement.
Following Vinatier’s arrest, HD said in a statement: “In the course of HD’s activities as an impartial and independent mediation organisation, our staff operates around the world and meets regularly with various officials, experts and other stakeholders with the aim of advancing efforts aimed at preventing, mitigating and resolving armed conflicts.”
“Hostage diplomacy”
Under Russian law, anyone who collects, reports or shares information about Russia’s military or security services must register as a “foreign agent.”
Critics say the law is being used to stifle dissent, and its use has increased since the Kremlin launched its war against neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
Arus Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, was arrested last year for failing to register as a “foreign agent” and has since faced more serious charges of spreading false information about the military.
Several citizens of other Western countries have been arrested in Russia since the Ukraine war began, bringing relations between the two countries to their lowest point since the Cold War.
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist who was arrested on espionage charges in March 2023, was tried in closed court last month. Several other Americans have also been arrested recently.
Among the most high-profile detentions was that of Paul Whelan, a senior U.S. national security official who was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges. Last month, Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American, went on trial on treason charges for donating $50 to a Ukrainian charity.
Russia claims it has been in contact with the United States and has indicated it is open to the idea of ​​a prisoner swap involving Gershkovich and others.
The United States, meanwhile, has accused Russia of engaging in “hostage diplomacy.”
