Russia Accuses French Political Analyst Laurent Vinatier of Espionage

Russian authorities have opened a new criminal case against French political scientist Laurent Vinatier, escalating charges against him from collecting military-related information without registering as a “foreign agent” to espionage.

This was reported by Mediazona on August 20, which found details of the case in Moscow court records.

Vinatier, who worked with the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, was detained in Moscow in the summer of 2024. In October of the same year, he was sentenced to three years in a penal colony after pleading guilty to gathering information deemed harmful to Russia’s security without “foreign agent” status. The case was reviewed under a special procedure that typically allows for a lighter sentence.

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Despite the ruling, Vinatier remained in Moscow’s SIZO-7 detention center instead of being transferred to a penal colony. Earlier this August, the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU reported that he had been moved to Lefortovo prison, where suspects in treason and espionage cases are usually held.

Mediazona reported that on August 20, Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court received a motion to extend Vinatier’s detention on espionage charges, with a hearing set for August 25.

So far, Russian security services have not released details of the new accusations. Vinatier’s representatives have also declined to comment.

Earlier, Former Moldovan Army Chief of Staff Igor Gorgan was charged in a treason case, the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases confirmed, adding that he has complied with court summons since the case was announced on June 13.