Russia

Frenchman Vinatier Pleads Guilty to Collecting Information on Russian Military

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French citizen Laurent Vinatier has pleaded guilty to collecting information on Russian military activities, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Friday from a Moscow court.
Sputnik
I accepted I was guilty of it,” Vinatier said.
This week, a French citizen had been detained in Moscow on charges of collecting information on Russia's military activities, said Yulia Ivanova, a spokeswoman for the Moscow branch of the Russian Investigative Committee.
The detainee is known as Laurent Vinatier, an adviser to Swiss NGO Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, media reported on Thursday.

Moscow Court Arrests Vinatier on Spying Charges Until August 5

A Moscow court has ordered two month of detention for the French citizen.
"To select a preventive measure against Vinatier in the form of detention until August 5, 2024," the judge said announcing the verdict.
The prosecutor and the investigator insisted on pre-trial detention, arguing that the accused could flee or put pressure on witnesses, while Vinatier's lawyer asked for house arrest in his wife's home.
The accused, who comes from the French city of Nantes and has four children, including two minors, pleaded guilty and vowed to cooperate with the investigation.
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