Laurent Claude Jean-Louis Vinatier
Laurent Claude Jean-Louis Vinatier, born 1976, Moscow. Charges: Article 330.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code (Failure to submit documents for inclusion in the register by persons engaged in the collection of…); “Laurent Vinatier's case for failure to fulfil "foreign agent" duties”. Sentence (October 14, 2024): 3 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: not in Russia. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, November 5, 2024.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Scientists
Sentence
3 years
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
Upheld February 24, 2025
Charges
- Article 330.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code — Failure to submit documents for inclusion in the register by persons engaged in the collection of information in the field of military or military-technical activities of the Russian Federation
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, over a period of several years, acting with the intent to evade the obligation established by the legislation of the Russian Federation to submit to the authorised body the documents required for inclusion in the register of foreign agents, he deliberately collected information in the field of the military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation. For this purpose, he repeatedly visited the territory of Russia, including the city of Moscow, where he held meetings with citizens of the Russian Federation.
Latest event
January 8, 2026 — persecution ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, November 5, 2024
Timeline
· Persecution ends
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years
· Persecution begins
Laurent Vinatier's case for failure to fulfil "foreign agent" duties
Criminal case
Laurent Vinatier's case for failure to fulfil "foreign agent" duties
- Case number
- 01-0391/2024
Details and sources
Full summary
A consultant at the Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, based in Geneva. The organisation was founded in 1999 and specialises in various mediation and peacebuilding missions during wars and armed conflicts.
He holds a PhD and cooperates with the Paris Institute of Political Studies; he is regarded as an expert on Russia and Central Asia. According to his LinkedIn profile, the political scientist specialises in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. He is fluent in Russian and regularly publishes in specialised academic journals.
Vinatier's work has focused, in particular, on events in Chechnya in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as on the role of Islam in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia and the North Caucasus. He has published studies including "Islamism in Central Asia", as well as "Chechens: A Diaspora at War and Russia: The Chechen Deadlock".
On 6 June 2024, he was detained in Moscow on suspicion of collecting information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation without submitting the documents required for inclusion in the register of "foreign agents". On 7 June, he was formally charged and remanded in custody. On 21 June, he was added to the register of "foreign agents".
On 14 October 2024, Vinatier was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony.
In August 2025, it became known that criminal proceedings for espionage had been initiated against Vinatier. Details of this case are unknown.
On 8 January 2026, Vinatier was extradited to France as part of a prisoner exchange for Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, whom the United States suspected of involvement in a hacking group.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- France
- Place of detention
- Pre-trial detention centre No. 2, Moscow
Other people prosecuted under Article 330.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.