Russian court keeps Frenchman accused of gathering military data in custody

A Russian court on Thursday ruled to keep Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher accused of illegally gathering military information, in pre-trial detention until Aug. 5, the press service of Moscow’s courts said.
Vinatier, an expert on the former Soviet Union with long experience of working in Russia, faces charges of illegally acquiring sensitive Russian military information that could benefit foreign intelligence services. The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Vinatier, 47, had pleaded guilty during questioning.
Vinatier was quoted by the state RIA news agency on Thursday as telling his appeal hearing that he had never acted against Russia, a country he was cited as saying he loved.