A court in Moscow on Friday ordered a French citizen accused of collecting information on military issues in Russia be held in jail pending investigation and trial. Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital on Thursday as tensions have flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the possibility of deploying the country’s troops in Ukraine.
Russia's state news agency Tass cited his lawyer as saying in the courtroom that Vinatier admitted his guilt and maintained that he simply didn't know about the requirement. The report also said Vinatier apologized to the court. The judge ordered the man to be remanded in pre-trial detention until Aug. 5. Vinatier is an adviser with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based nongovernment organization.