Trial starts for Frenchman accused of unlawfully collecting military information in Russia

MOSCOW -- The trial of a French citizen arrested in Russia on charges of unlawfully collecting information on military issues started Monday but was quickly adjourned for a month.

Laurent Vinatier, arrested in Moscow in June, had earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-track trial without a detailed examination of evidence. But quickly after the trial opened on Monday, the judge adjourned the hearing until Oct. 14 when prosecutors will declare the sentence they will seek.

Vinatier's lawyer, Aleksey Sinitsyn, said the trial was adjourned because the prosecution needed more time to prepare for final arguments.

If convicted, Vinatier could face up to five years in prison.

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 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 accused Vinatier of collecting military information during his meetings with three Russian citizens in Moscow in 2021-2022. The Russian citizens weren't named in the indictment.

Vinatier is an adviser with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization. The NGO in June said 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.