Russian justice on Monday October 14 sentenced Frenchman Laurent Vinatier to three years in prison, detained since June and accused of not having registered as a“foreign agent”. His lawyers announce their intention to appeal.
The court decided to “declare Laurent Vinatier guilty” and of “sentence him to a prison term of three years”declared judge Natalia Tcheprassova.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs deplored the conviction judging this sentence “extremely severe”. “The legislation on + foreign agents + contributes to a systematic violation of fundamental freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion, and freedom of expression”reacted the spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay, adding that Paris was requesting “immediate release” of his national.
This researcher specializing in the post-Soviet space was employed on Russian soil by the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss NGO which mediates in conflicts outside official diplomatic circuits.
“My wife is Russian, my friends are Russian. I lived a Russian life »he recalled in front of the judges, saying he fell in love with Russia twenty years ago, during a trip to Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
The Frenchman, dressed in a light blue shirt, appeared stoic as the verdict was announced. He was not allowed to speak after this sentence to the press present in court.
A “harsh verdict”
The Russian lawyers of Laurent Vinatier, Oleg Bessonov and Alexeï Sinitsine immediately deplored to journalists a “harsh verdict”. “We will, of course, appeal”they announced.
The Russian authorities accused Laurent Vinatier of having failed to fulfill his obligation to register under the label“foreign agent” even as he collected “information in the field of military activities” can be “used against security” of Russia.
He risked up to five years in prison, but the prosecutor had requested a sentence of three years and three months in prison against the Frenchman.
Laurent Vinatier’s two lawyers had requested that their client, who had “fully confessed his guilt”they recalled, be punished by a simple fine.
In the accused box, his face drawn, Laurent Vinatier had demanded a “lenient and fair judgment”believing that “imprisonment will affect (it) living conditions” of his family.
Laurent Vinatier, aged around forty, admitted not having registered as a“foreign agent”, a label used in Russia against critical voices and which imposes heavy administrative obligations, under penalty of criminal sanctions. He claimed to be unaware that this obligation had been introduced into the penal code.
The Russian security services (FSB) for their part affirmed in early July that the accused had “collected”as part of its professional exchanges, “military and technical information that can be used by foreign intelligence services against the security of Russia”declared the FSB then.
These accusations against him had for a certain period led to fears of a more serious indictment, for example for “espionage”a crime punishable by twenty years of deprivation of liberty in Russia.
Strained relations with Paris
At the beginning of September, the Frenchman’s pre-trial detention was extended by six months on the first day of his trial, until February 21, 2025.
According to several sources, the Frenchman had been working for years on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, even before the Russian offensive of February 2022, as part of discreet diplomatic efforts in parallel with those of the States. Until his arrest, he made trips to both countries.
This affair also comes at a time when relations between Moscow and Paris are very tense: Russia is accused of a series of acts of destabilization and disinformation on French territory, while France is criticized for its support for ‘Ukraine.
In recent years, several Westerners, particularly Americans, have been arrested in Russia and targeted with serious charges, with Washington denouncing hostage-taking to obtain the release of Russians detained abroad.
On August 1, the West and Russia carried out the largest exchange of prisoners since the end of the Cold War, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, freed by Moscow.