French citizen convicted in Russia of collecting military information and gets 3 years in prison
A Russian court has convicted a French citizen of collecting information on military issues and sentenced him to three years in prison
By AP News
Published - Oct 14, 2024, 02:11 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:22 PM EST
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Monday convicted a French citizen of collecting military information and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-tracked trial. His lawyers’ asked the court to sentence him to a fine.
In his remarks before the verdict, Vinatier, speaking Russian, reaffirmed that he fully recognized his guilt and asked the judge for clemency. “I'm asking the Russian Federation to forgive me for failing to observe Russian laws,” he said.
France’s Foreign Ministry described Vinatier’s sentence as “extremely severe” and called for his immediate release.
