Putin says will look into case of French researcher jailed in Russia
President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would look into the case of French researcher Laurent Vinatier, jailed in Russia for failing to register as a "foreign agent" and facing 20 years on fresh espionage charges.
Vinatier, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO and was jailed in June 2024, is serving a three-year sentence, but faces fresh allegations of spying.
"I don't know anything about this case. This is the first I've heard of it," Putin said about Vinatier's case, which has been widely reported on by French and international media.
"But I promise you I'll definitely find out what it is. And if there's even the slightest chance of resolving this matter favourably, if Russian law allows it, we'll make every effort," Putin said during his annual press conference.
Vinatier is one of several Westerners to have been arrested after Putin launched an all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
Several US citizens have been arrested and then released in prisoner exchanges brokered by both US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden.
Vinatier's family have rejected the accusations against him, saying he is a victim of tensions between Moscow and Paris over Russia's war.
