A Russian court on Monday convicted a French citizen of collecting military information and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-tracked trial. His lawyers' asked the court to sentence him to a fine.
In his remarks before the verdict, Vinatier, speaking Russian, reaffirmed that he fully recognized his guilt and asked the judge for clemency. "I'm asking the Russian Federation to forgive me for failing to observe Russian laws," he said.
The 48-year-old political scholar said he fell in love with Russia 20 years ago when he began studying the country and concluded his comments with a verse by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin about having patience that better days lie ahead.
Detentions on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia and its heavily politicized legal system since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
