French researcher Laurent Vinatier, who was already serving a three-year sentence in Russia for violating the country’s “foreign agent” laws, is now facing a fresh espionage charge. Court documents from Moscow’s Lefortovo Court, cited by Russian news agencies, confirmed the new charge, though details remain undisclosed. A hearing on the case has been scheduled for next Monday.

Vinatier, 49, was convicted last October for failing to register as a “foreign agent” while carrying out research that Russian authorities claimed involved collecting military-related information. His appeal against the sentence was rejected in February. At his trial, Vinatier expressed regret, saying he loved Russia and apologised for breaking the law.

France has condemned his detention as arbitrary, with President Emmanuel Macron denying any state links to Vinatier and describing his case as part of Moscow’s misinformation campaign. Vinatier is employed by the Switzerland-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a conflict mediation organisation. Academics familiar with his work described him as a respected scholar engaged in legitimate research, caught in the middle of heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.

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