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The authorities charged Laurent Vinatier with “failing to register as a foreign agent” while “gathering information on the military of the Russian Federation”.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – Laurent Vinatier is a French academic who knows Russia well. The 47-year-old has spent more than a decade visiting the country, often in the service of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a non-governmental organisation that works in cooperation with the United Nations on discreet informal diplomacy and conflict mediation.
As such, Vinatier is no stranger to Russia’s political elite. Earlier in June, he attended the International Economic Forum, one of Russia’s most prestigious annual gatherings held in St Petersburg, the country’s second-largest city, where Russian President Vladimir Putin often delivers significant policy speeches.
