Russia Releases French Researcher as Part of Prisoner Exchange Deal

French Researcher Released from Russian Prison in Prisoner Exchange

A French researcher serving a three-year sentence in Russia has been released as part of a prisoner exchange with Moscow, according to officials. Laurent Vinatier, 49, was freed after being swapped for basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, 26.

Vinatier had been arrested by the FSB security service at a Moscow restaurant in June 2024 and convicted four months later of violating Russia’s “foreign agent” laws. He was also placed under investigation for espionage and faced a possible further trial.

The FSB announced that Vinatier had been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin, who had previously promised to review the case after a French journalist raised it during his annual news conference. The researcher had collected sensitive information while working for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss-based conflict mediation organisation.

Vinatier’s lawyer, Frederic Belot, described the decision as “huge relief”. The prisoner exchange comes amid strained relations between Paris and Moscow, which have been frosty since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. European leaders and US envoys recently announced security guarantees for Kyiv, including a US-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force.

Russia has rejected the plan, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that any units or facilities would be considered legitimate military targets for the Russian Armed Forces.

Source: Al Jazeera