Russian court decides to consider case of detained French citizen in special order

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Russian court decided to consider the case of detained French citizen Laurent Vinatier, 48, after he pleaded guilty to violating the country’s foreign agents law, state media reported on Monday.

State news agency Tass reported that Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court granted the defense's motion to consider Vinatier’s case in a special order.

According to the report, this means that the case will be considered without examining and evaluating the evidence collected against Vinatier, and that he cannot be sentenced to a punishment exceeding two-thirds of the five-year sentence he is facing.

The court later decided to postpone Vinatier’s hearing until Oct. 14.

Earlier, Tass said that Vinatier had admitted to violating the country’s foreign agents law.

The French national, an employee of the Swiss-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, was arrested in Moscow in June on charges of failing to fulfill obligations under the law.

On Sept. 3, the court extended Vinatier's detention until next Feb. 21.