Moscow said it had detained a French citizen accused of collecting information about Russian military activities and failing to register as a “foreign agent.”
“If such information were obtained by a foreign source, it could be used to harm national security,” Russia’s Investigative Committee (SK) said.
It also released footage it said showed the unnamed male suspect being arrested in a Moscow cafe.
A Swiss-based NGO later said its adviser, Laurent Vinatier, was being held in the Russian capital.
“We are aware that Laurent Vinatier, adviser to the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), has been detained in Russia,” a spokesman for the NGO told AFP.
He added: “We are working to understand more details of the situation and secure Laurent’s release.”
The NGO says its main activity is “the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts around the world through mediation and cautious diplomacy.”
France had no immediate comment on the matter. Relations between Paris and Moscow are strained over Russia’s planned full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
A criminal case has been opened and the suspects will be charged “in the near future,” SK said in a statement on Thursday.
The Frenchman is said to have visited Russia several times over the years to meet with Russian nationals.
The 19-second video released by SK showed a man whose face was blurred being detained by Russian law enforcement officers and then taken to an SK truck.
The Frenchman is also accused of failing to submit documents required for “inclusion in the register of foreign agents”.
Russia requires anyone receiving foreign support or influence to declare themselves such an agent. It has used the 2012 law to suppress any domestic opposition to President Vladimir Putin and used it as a pretext to detain people, including foreigners.
Last year, Russian-American journalist Arsukur Maseva was arrested on similar charges.
The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
