French researcher Laurent Vinatier was released by Russia and arrived home in France on Thursday, in exchange for France’s release of Russian hacker Daniil Kasatkin.
The French 49-year-old was employed by a Swiss peacebuilding NGO, the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), when he was arrested at a restaurant in Moscow in June 2024. Before the year was out, he had been sentenced to three years in prison for violating a Russian law requiring “foreign agents” to register with Russian authorities.
Vinatier’s sentence was upheld by a court of appeal on Feb. 24., 2025 – the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite Paris issuing a statement demanding his immediate release, he remained in Russian captivity until this week.
Writing on X on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Vinatier was “free and back in France,” and thanked French diplomats for their efforts to return him.
In a statement, HD echoed these sentiments. “Laurent’s colleagues and friends are overjoyed at his return and stand in solidarity with him and his family as they move forward,” it reads.
To secure Vinatier’s freedom, Paris made a concession – the release of basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, whom France arrested at a Paris airport last year at the request of the US. Washington had accused Kasatkin of being part of a ransomware hacking ring.
Kasatkin’s lawyer told AFP that he was glad the 26-year-old had been released in time for Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated on Jan. 7.
The Kremlin has long blamed Europe for causing its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – and, more recently, for attempting to derail US-led peace negotiations. At the time of Vinatier’s conviction, Paris accused Moscow of detaining him “arbitrarily.”