Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher, was released from prison in Russia following a prisoner exchange, after being convicted of violating foreign agent laws.

The French researcher Laurent Vinatier, at the age of 49, was released by the Russian authorities after being pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. Vinatier was sentenced in October 2024 to three years in prison for failing to register as a 'foreign agent' in Russia, and was also accused of espionage, charges rejected by France.

His release took place as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and France, after France released the Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, arrested for alleged involvement in cyberattacks. Vinatier's case was considered sensitive in the diplomatic relations between the two countries, amid tensions generated by the war in Ukraine and Russia's strict legislation regarding foreign citizens.