Russia prosecutors seek 3 1/4-year jail term for French citizen accused of collecting military data

Prosecutors have asked a Russian court to deliver a prison sentence of three years and three months to a French citizen arrested on charges of unlawfully collecting information on military issues

MOSCOW -- Prosecutors asked a Russian court on Monday to deliver a prison sentence of three years and three months to a French citizen arrested on charges of unlawfully collecting information on military issues.

Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-track trial without a detailed examination of evidence.

Detentions on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Vinatier’s arrest came as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments about the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.

Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information about Russia’s “military and military-technical activities” that could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.

The prosecutors charged that Vinatier had collected military information during his meetings with three Russian citizens in Moscow in 2021-2022. The Russian citizens weren’t named in the indictment.

Vinatier’s lawyers argued that the sentence sought by prosecutors was too harsh and asked the judge to sentence him to a fine.

Vinatier is an adviser for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization. It said in June that it was doing “everything possible to assist” him.

The charges against Vinatier relate to a law that requires anyone collecting information on military issues to register with authorities as a foreign agent.

Human rights activists have criticized the law and other recent legislation as part of a Kremlin crackdown on independent media and political activists intended to stifle criticism of its actions in Ukraine.