INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Updates throughout.A Moscow court on Friday ordered a French citizen accused of gathering Russian military information to be held in
pre-trial detention, in the latest case of a Western citizen being detained in Russia.Laurent Vinatier, a 47-year-old who works for a Swiss
conflict mediation NGO, was arrested on Thursday and officially charged with breaching Russia's "foreign agents" law, charges which carry
up to five years in jail.Vinatier, who was held in a metal cage at the back of the courtroom, accepted the accusations against him."I have
accepted that I am guilty," he told the court
"I present my apologies."The court session was a hearing on selecting a measure of restraint, not a review of the case against him.The judge
ordered Vinatier sent to jail until at least Aug
5, pending trial.Investigators accuse the Frenchman of gathering military information that could be used against Russia by foreign
states.Under Russian law, people who collect, report or share information related to Russia's military or security services are required
Russia and other post-Soviet countries.The Center for Humanitarian Dialogue "works to prevent and resolve armed conflicts around the world
Russian and French during the hearing."What happened is not against me, it's against the organization as a whole," he said.The Swiss
stay at his wife's apartment in Moscow."I have no intention of obstructing the investigation
Yesterday I had a great conversation with the investigators, proof of my good intentions," Vinatier said when questioned in court.He faces
up to five years in prison if convicted, although Russia has previously used "foreign agent" charges as a pretext to arrest people before
leveling more serious charges.The law has typically been used to target Russian citizens and domestic critics of the Kremlin, such as
activists, campaigners and independent journalists, rather than foreign citizens.United States -Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was
arrested on a similar charge last year, before a more serious case of spreading "false information" about the army was leveled against
her.On Thursday, Macron said Vinatier had no connections with the French government."It is one of our citizens working for a Swiss NGO..
it was in no way someone who was working for France," Macron told French television in an interview.In Russia, suspects can spend months in
pre-trial detention, with the period in jail regularly extended by a few months in court hearings.Westerners arrested in RussiaRussia has
also arrested several Western citizens in recent years, drawing accusations that Moscow is holding them to trade in prisoner exchanges for
Russians jailed abroad.United States journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested on "espionage" charges last year and former United States
marine Paul Whelan has been in prison for more than five years, also accused of spying.Both reject the charges and have been designated
"wrongfully detained" by the White House.United States basketball player Brittney Griner was freed in a prisoner exchange for convicted
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in 2022 after she was arrested at a Moscow airport with medicinal cannabis oil.Vinatier's arrest came days
after France's domestic intelligence agency detained a 26-year-old Russian-Ukrainian man on suspicion of planning a violent act after he
As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the
This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.We, the journalists
of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced
Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken
But we need your help to continue our critical mission.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2
It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent
you one reminder email a month from now
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.
