Russian court on Monday convicted a French citizen of collecting military information and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-tracked trial. His lawyers’ asked the court to sentence him to a fine.
In his remarks before the verdict, Vinatier, speaking Russian, reaffirmed that he fully recognized his guilt and asked the judge for clemency. “I’m asking the Russian Federation to forgive me for failing to observe Russian laws,” he said in Russian.
