A French citizen was arrested in Moscow on June 6 on charges that he failed to register as a "foreign agent" with relevant authorities, the Russian state-run media outlet TASS reported.
TASS claimed, citing sources, that it was Laurent Vinatier, who holds a PhD and reportedly works for the Swiss Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), which HD then confirmed to Politico.
"We are working to get more details of the circumstances and to secure Laurent's release," HD said in a written statement to Politico.
The "foreign agents" designation requires people and entities who allegedly receive "support" from abroad to place a disclaimer in all of their publishing and mandates strict financial reporting. It is broadly seen as a means to repress domestic opposition.
The independent Russian news agency Agentstvo reported that Vinatier had visited Russia several times previously, including after the full-scale invasion. He is also the author of several books on Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.
Russia has arrested numerous Western citizens since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and subsequent crackdown on human rights in the country, including two journalists with U.S. citizenship.
Alexander Khrebet
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions . It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
(Updated: )
