Nearly a year after his initial conviction, Laurent Vinatier found himself caught up in one of the Russian justice system's routine practices: a new trial designed to extend his incarceration. Arrested in Moscow on June 6, 2024, and sentenced on October 14 to three years in a penal colony – officially for failing to register as a "foreign agent" – the French researcher appeared again, on Monday, August 25, before the Lefortovo court in Moscow. This time, he faced espionage charges. He could now be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

Unlike his previous trial, the proceedings were being held behind closed doors. Vinatier, 49, was not permitted to comment publicly. His lawyer, Oleg Bessonov, contacted by Le Monde, was legally barred from answering journalists' questions. As a result, few details were known about Monday's brief and formal hearing. "An espionage investigation," was all that Anastassia Pychkina, the court's spokesperson, would say. The court is located next to Moscow's most famous prison, a veritable fortress where security services – from the KGB to the FSB – have detained a long list of political prisoners.

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