The Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) confirms that Laurent Vinatier, 47, was detained in Moscow and says it is working to secure his release.
Russia arrested a French citizen working for a Geneva-based conflict mediation organization, accusing him of collecting 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 “intentionally collected information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation,” which could be used against state security. .
The committee, which investigates serious 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 to a police van.
While it did not identify the man and blurred his face in the video, the state news agency TASS identified him as Laurent Vinatier.
The Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a non-profit organization, 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 achieve his release.
“We are working to obtain more details of the circumstances and secure Laurent's release,” the group said in a statement.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron denied that Vinatier worked for the French state and said his arrest was part of a disinformation campaign by Moscow.
Under Russian laws used to suppress Kremlin critics, anyone who receives foreign support or 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.
Arrests on charges of espionage and collection of sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since its large-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested last year on suspicion of attempting 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 described him as “unjustly detained” and seeks his release.
Russian-American journalist Alsou Kurmasheva was arrested last October and is awaiting trial on charges including failing to register as a “foreign agent.” She is also detained awaiting trial.
According to Vinatier's LinkedIn page, he has been an advisor to HD's Eurasia/Russia Program since March 2014.
He completed his doctorate on the Chechen diaspora and has lectured on international relations and political economy at several universities in France and Europe, in addition to writing several books and book chapters on Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Vinatier's arrest was announced just as France hosted many Western leaders for events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday. Russia was not invited due to its invasion of Ukraine.
It also comes amid strains in relations between Moscow and Paris after Macron spoke about the conditions under which France could be prepared to deploy soldiers to Ukraine, and kyiv said France had agreed to send military instructors to the country.
Moscow has warned that French soldiers would be legitimate targets for Russia if they were sent to Ukraine.
