[Russia] - French Researcher Appeals 3-Year Jail Sentence, Moscow Court Says

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A Moscow court stated Tuesday that French scientist Laurent Vinatier filed an appeal against the three-year prison sentence handed to him
last week for breaking Russias foreign representative laws.Vinatier, a 48-year-old scientist working for a Swiss dispute mediation NGO, was
arrested in Moscow in June and charged with gathering details on Russias military without being registered as a foreign agent.The appeal
against the verdict was signed up on Oct
21, Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Court said on its website.Vinatier pleaded guilty throughout his trial but stated he was unaware that he
needs to have registered as a foreign agent a label that has actually been nearly solely utilized against Russias domestic opposition.French
President Emmanuel Macron has required that Russia release Vinatier, whose arrest came as tensions between Paris and Moscow installed over
the war in Ukraine.Western countries have actually accused Moscow of apprehending their residents on baseless charges to use them for
prisoner swaps.In August, Russia and the West held the biggest prisoner exchange because the Cold War.