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full screen Frenchman Laurent Vinatier at a legal hearing in Moscow this summer. Archive image. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP/TT
Frenchman Laurent Vinatier accused of gathering information about the Russian military without registering as a “foreign agent” will stand trial in Moscow on September 3, the court announced.
He risks being sentenced to five years in prison.
Vinatier worked for the Geneva-based organization Center for Humanitarian Dialogue before he was arrested in Moscow in June.
According to Russian investigators, he has collected military information that other states could use against Russia. Under Russian law, anyone who collects or shares information about the Russian military or security services must register with authorities as a “foreign agent.”
Laurent Vinatier has admitted to violating Russian law and apologized. France describes the arrest as arbitrary and calls on Russia to release him.