In a significant diplomatic resolution, Russia has released French researcher Laurent Vinatier following a negotiated prisoner exchange with France. This development concludes a detention lasting over a year for Vinatier, who was imprisoned on charges of failing to register as a “foreign agent.”
The swap involved the reciprocal release of Russian national Daniil Kasatkin, a professional basketball player detained in France since June 2023. Kasatkin’s arrest was executed at the behest of U.S. authorities, who have accused him of involvement in a major hacking and ransomware scheme.
The transfer, confirmed by Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency, was formalized through a presidential pardon from Vladimir Putin. Vinatier, a 49-year-old affiliated with a Swiss conflict mediation organization, was arrested in Moscow. Russian prosecutors alleged his research activities involved gathering sensitive information on the nation’s military apparatus—a charge that intersects with laws mandating the registration of individuals receiving foreign support.
Following his return to Paris, Vinatier was reunited with his family and officially received by French Minister Delegate for Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly expressed relief on social media platform X, stating, “Our compatriot is back in France.”
This exchange occurs against a backdrop of severely strained relations between Moscow and Western nations, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It echoes a pattern of prisoner diplomacy; a landmark Cold War-scale swap in August 2024 saw 24 individuals released between Russia and Western countries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously indicated that Moscow had presented Paris with an offer, stating the decision was thereafter France’s to make.
During his judicial proceedings, Vinatier entered a guilty plea, expressing regret and claiming unawareness of the registration requirement. He was subsequently sentenced to a three-year term, a ruling the French government decried as “extremely harsh.” Conversely, Kasatkin has consistently denied the U.S. allegations against him.