HomeWorldRussia: Frenchman Laurent Vinatier appealed his three-year prison sentence

Russia: Frenchman Laurent Vinatier appealed his three-year prison sentence

The French researcher, specialist in the post-Soviet space, Laurent Vinatier was convicted in October in Russia for failing to register as a “foreign agent,” according to a Moscow court.

Frenchman Laurent Vinatier appealed his three-year prison sentence in Russia for failing to register as a “foreign agent,” a Moscow court reported on Tuesday, October 22.

The Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow received and registered “on October 21” the appeal of Laurent Vinatier, arrested on June 6 and sentenced on October 14, it indicates on its website. His lawyer, Alexeï Sinitsyn, confirmed the call to AFP but declined to comment further.

Moscow uses the “foreign agent” label, reminiscent of the Soviet era, accompanied by very strict administrative restrictions, to muzzle and silence critical voices.

Employee on Russian soil

Laurent Vinatier, a researcher specialized in the post-Soviet space, worked on Russian soil at the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss NGO that mediates conflicts outside official diplomatic circuits.

The Russian Security Service (FSB) claimed that the defendants had collected “military and technical information that could be used by foreign intelligence services against the security of Russia.” These accusations had raised fears of a more serious accusation, for “espionage”, a crime punishable by 20 years in prison in Russia.

Russia:
Spy or investigator? Why is Russia keeping Laurent Vinatier in prison?

18:12

According to sources interviewed by AFP, the Frenchman had worked for years in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, even before the great Russian offensive of February 2022, within the framework of discreet diplomatic work parallel to those States.

Until his arrest in early June 2024, he made trips to both countries. At the hearing, Laurent Vinatier’s lawyers asked that their client, who had “fully admitted his guilt”, be punished with a simple fine.

This matter occurs at a time of great tension in relations between Moscow and Paris: Russia is accused of a series of acts of destabilization and disinformation on French territory, while France is criticized for its military support for Ukraine.

Author: EO with AFP
Source: BFM TV

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