Suspected of collecting military information: Russia announces arrest of French national

A French national arrested by Russia. (drawing) EPA – SERGEI ILNITSKY

A French national has been arrested by Russia. He is suspected of having collected military information.

Russia has arrested a French national suspected of collecting information on Russian military activities, Russian investigators said Thursday, confirming information reported by the Russian news agency Tass.

Stopped at the restaurant

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, responsible for serious crimes, the man visited Russia several times over several years and met Russian citizens.< /p>

Man is accused of violating a law on foreign agents who are involved in "targeted collection of information in the field of military (and) military-technical activities of the Russian Federation". "Such information, if obtained from foreign sources, may be used against the security of the State", a declared the commission of inquiry.

These charges carry a penalty of up to five years in prison. Reuters was unable to contact the French Foreign Ministry for comment. A short video released by the commission shows the arrest in a restaurant of a man dressed in jeans and a black shirt by masked security agents.

He was escorted into a van and then taken to a building. The person's face was blurred. Reuters was able to identify the restaurant shown in the video as the cafe called Akademia in central Moscow.