Russia reports confession by employee of a Swiss NGO
Published: Wednesday, Jul 3rd 2024, 12:10
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An employee of a Swiss non-governmental organization imprisoned in Russia has admitted his guilt, according to the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB. The Russian judiciary accuses the Frenchman of collecting information about the Russian army.
The FSB reported the man's confession on Wednesday, the French news agency AFP reported the same day.
The detainee works for the Humanitarian Dialogue Center (HD Centre) based in Geneva. He was arrested on June 7 for alleged espionage. In addition to collecting military information, the Russian authorities also accuse him of failing to register as a "foreign agent" as required.
During his visits to Moscow, the man had established numerous contacts with representatives of expert and scientific circles - such as political scientists, sociologists, economists and military experts - as well as government officials, the FSB wrote in a communiqué. As a result, the Frenchman had "in particular collected military and military-technical information that could be used by foreign special services against the security of the Russian Federation".
So far, the man has reportedly only been charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent". The relevant law is frequently used by the Russian government to take action against critics. It provides for prison sentences of up to five years. If charged with espionage, the Frenchman could face up to 20 years in prison.
Among other things, the HD Centre was involved in negotiating the agreement that enables the export of Ukrainian grain despite the war.
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