Foreigner targeted
Frenchman must remain in custody in Moscow
French political expert Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow at the beginning of June, must remain in custody. By arresting foreigners, Russia exerts pressure on other states and repeatedly uses these individuals as bargaining chips for the possible exchange of prisoners.
The researcher worked for the Humanitarian Dialogue Center (HD Centre) in Switzerland and was arrested before the major international Ukraine peace conference held in Switzerland in mid-June. Russia, which has been waging its war of aggression against Ukraine for more than two years, was not invited to the meeting.
The Geneva-based NGO announced on June 7 that it would also seek clarification from the Russian authorities regarding the allegations against its employee. A court in Moscow rejected Vinatier's appeal against his arrest.
Not registered as a foreign agent
HD said that, as an independent organization, it conducts talks with official functionaries, experts and other parties around the world, for example with regard to resolving armed conflicts. On the other hand, the expert, who was born in France in 1976, is said to have admitted to the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB that he had collected information that could be used by foreign intelligence services and thus harm Moscow's security interests.
He had not registered as a so-called foreign agent when collecting information during several visits to Russia, it was said. He is said to have admitted this accusation in court. According to Russian criminal law, this is punishable by up to five years in prison or forced labor.
Law against "foreign agents"
According to the Russian law on so-called foreign agents, organizations and individuals that are fully or partially financed from abroad must register. In the increasingly repressive atmosphere in Russia, the law is used to brand critics and restrict their contacts in the country.
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