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Moscow City Court upholds three-year sentence for France’s Vinatier

According to the TASS reporter, representatives of the Consulate General of France attended the hearing

MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. The Moscow City Court has upheld the conviction of French citizen Laurent Vinatier (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent), sentencing him to three years in a penal colony for failing to adhere to the conditions of his foreign agent status and for gathering classified information, a TASS correspondent reports from the courtroom.

"The verdict of the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow dated October 14, 2024, shall remain unchanged, and the defense’s appeal shall be dismissed," the judge announced the decision.

According to the TASS reporter, representatives of the Consulate General of France attended the hearing.

In his appeal, Vinatier challenged the verdict by saying that the court of first instance had not properly taken into account all the mitigating circumstances: no criminal record, a doctorate in political science, two dependent children, as well as complete remorse for what he had done. The defense asked the court of appeal to throw out the sentence, or at least reduce it.

In his final statement, the convict reiterated his full remorse, expressed "his love for Russia and the Russian people," and apologized.

The Justice Ministry previously listed Vinatier as a foreign agent. He is an employee of the Swiss non-governmental non-profit organization Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, and was detained in Moscow in early June last year. On October 14, the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow found him guilty under Part 3 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (evading duties provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation on foreign agents). The case was considered under special procedure. According to investigators, from April 23, 2021 to August 26, 2022, Vinatier collected military and military-technical information, as well as information on mobilization, of which he had had to notify the relevant Russian agency. The French citizen received information about the deployment of the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine, as well as information about forecasts of the course of military operations. According to the investigation, the information he received could be used against Russia.

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