Russia arrests French researcher suspected of collecting intelligence

Russia arrests French researcher suspected of collecting intelligence

Russia has arrested a French citizen working for a Geneva-based conflict mediation organisation, accusing him of gathering information about the military and failing to register as a “foreign agent”.

Russia’s state Investigative Committee said the man was suspected over a period of several years of having “purposefully collected information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation”, which could be used against the security of the state.

The committee, which investigates major crimes, released a short video showing a man in jeans and a black T-shirt being approached by masked officers on the terrace of a central Moscow restaurant before being led into a police van.

While it did not identify the man and blurred his face in the video, the state-run TASS news agency identified him as Laurent Vinatier.

The nonprofit Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) said it was aware that Vinatier, 47, who worked for the group as an adviser on Russia and Eurasia, had been arrested and was trying to secure his release.

“We are working to get more details of the circumstances and to secure Laurent’s release,” the group said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, denied Vinatier worked for the French state and said his arrest was part of a campaign of disinformation by Moscow.

Under Russian laws used to crack down on Kremlin critics, anybody who receives foreign support or who is under “foreign influence” must register as a “foreign agent“.  HD was founded by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and works to address and mediate armed conflicts around the world.

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Arrests on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, was arrested last year on suspicion of trying to obtain military secrets and charged with espionage, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years, and is currently in custody awaiting trial. The United States has designated him “wrongfully detained” and is seeking his release.

Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested last October and is awaiting trial on charges including failing to register as a “foreign agent”. She too is being held in custody pending trial.

According to Vinatier’s LinkedIn page, he has been an adviser to the Eurasia/Russia Programme at HD since March 2014.

He completed his PhD on the Chechen diaspora and has lectured on international relations and political economy at various universities in France and Europe, as well as writing several books and book chapters on Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.