A French scientist who reportedly works for a Swiss NGO has been arrested in Moscow for alleged espionage. The Russian state investigative committee said Thursday that the man had tried to obtain information about the army and military technology in Russia, German news agency dpa said.
To do this, the Frenchman would have visited Moscow several times and met Russian citizens.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared Thursday evening in an interview on TF1 and France 2 that the man concerned works “for a Swiss NGO” launched at the time “by the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan” and was arrested in the name of the law on foreign agents. He was probably referring to the Kofi Annan Foundation in Geneva.
A court will decide on his placement in pre-trial detention, we read in a press release. Authorities released a video of the arrest of the Frenchman, who was sitting in a Moscow cafe at the time. No further details were given.
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Strained Franco-Russian relations
Relations between Moscow and Paris have clearly become strained since Emmanuel Macron tried to organize European resistance against Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The French president also does not rule out sending military instructors to Ukraine.
By arresting foreigners, Russia puts pressure on other countries and uses these people as bargaining chips. According to media reports, a Russian-German businessman was arrested at the end of May in St. Petersburg for alleged treason. Questioned by dpa, the company he worked for in Cologne confirmed his arrest.
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