Russia sentences the Frenchman to 3 years in prison for allegedly violating foreign agents

A Moscow court on October 14 sentenced French citizen Laurent Vinatier to three years and three months in prison for allegedly violating Russia’s law on “foreign agents.”

Vinatier, who holds a PhD and works for the Swiss Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), was arrested while visiting Russia in June for allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent.

The “foreign agent” designation requires people and entities allegedly receiving “support” from foreign countries to include a disclaimer in all their publications and mandates strict financial reporting. It is widely seen as a means to suppress domestic opposition.

Russian investigators alleged that, apart from the violation of the registration of foreign agents, Vinatier had pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining information about the military.

There is no way to independently verify the validity of Vinatier’s alleged confession. Russia does not provide transparent access to its justice system, and international human rights organizations have long detailed rampant abuse in prisons and the use of torture to extract confessions.

Russia has routinely arrested foreigners, some of whom were released in a high-profile prisoner swap in August. Moscow is accused of detaining foreigners on trumped-up charges and holding them as hostages to promote the release of Russian nationals held in the West.

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The Kiev IndependentChris York