At the beginning of June, a political expert from France was arrested in Russia. He is accused of collecting Russian military information. Now he has to spend several years in prisons known for their terrible conditions.
Laurent Vinatier worked for the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre) in Switzerland. The Geneva-based non-governmental organization says it is independent and holds discussions with officials, experts and other parties around the world, for example with a view to resolving armed conflicts.
“I ask Russia for forgiveness”
As defendant Laurent Vinatier said, he had known Russia for twenty years and had fallen in love with the country. “I ask Russia to forgive me for not respecting the laws of the Russian Federation,” he pleaded, according to a report by the Interfax news agency. Accordingly, he had not registered as a “foreign agent.” Under Russian criminal law, the charges can carry up to five years in prison or hard labor.
On the other hand, according to Russia’s domestic intelligence service FSB, the expert, who was born in France in 1976, reportedly admitted to collecting information that could be used by foreign secret services and thus harm Moscow’s security interests.
With the three-year prison sentence, the court fell slightly short of the request of the Russian prosecutor, who had demanded three years and three months. The defense had asked the court for humane punishment and proposed a fine. The verdict is not yet final.
Foreigners live dangerously
By arresting foreigners, Russia puts pressure on other states and repeatedly uses these people as bargaining chips for the possible exchange of prisoners. According to Russia’s law on so-called foreign agents, organizations and individuals that are fully or partially financed from abroad must register. In Russia’s increasingly repressive atmosphere, the law is used to stigmatize critics and limit their contacts in the country.
Source: Krone
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