Laurent Vinatier, a French citizen, has just been handed a three-year prison sentence for not being registered on the “foreign agents” register. This is an extremely harsh sentence.
The “foreign agents” legislation contributes to a systematic violation of fundamental freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression. It is helping to abolish the last spaces of freedom that were available to civil society, the independent media and political opposition groups in Russia. This legislation goes against the human rights commitments to which Russia has subscribed.
France asks for Laurent Vinatier's immediate release and again calls on the Russian authorities to repeal the laws on “foreign agents”. The French authorities remain fully mobilized to provide him with assistance.