Arrested last June for failing to register as a “foreign agent”, he faces 5 years in prison.
A Moscow court extended his pre-trial detention on Wednesday until September 5.
Russian authorities accuse Laurent Vinatier of not registering as a ” foreign agent ” while he was collecting information on Russia’s “military activities” which the judge said could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.
Laurent Vinatier has already recognized that he had indeed failed to report to the authorities. He said at the time that he was unaware that a recent Russian law required him to do so. The charge of failure to register alone carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The 47-year-old Frenchman was employed by the Center for Humanitarian Dialoguea non-governmental organization based in Switzerland.
This NGO specializes in the mediation of armed conflicts, operating outside traditional diplomatic channels.
His arrest took place in the street, in Junewhile tensions between Moscow and Paris had risen a notch, following the declarations of President Emmanuel Macron, concerning the possibility of sending French troops in Ukraine.
