Jailed French researcher faces Russian espionage charge, court says

(Reuters) -French researcher Laurent Vinatier, already jailed in Russia on charges of violating the country's "foreign agent" laws, now faces a new espionage charge, according to court documents cited by Russian news agencies.

Vinatier was jailed for three years last October for failing to comply with laws requiring individuals deemed "foreign agents" to register and meet a number of stipulations. His appeal against the sentence was thrown out in February.

The FSB security service had accused Vinatier of failing to register as a foreign agent in Russia while collecting military information of value to foreign intelligence services.

Russian news agencies quoted documents from Moscow's Lefortovo Court as saying he would now be charged under espionage laws, without providing further details. A hearing was set for next Monday.

Vinatier, 49, is one of several Westerners to have been charged under Russian security laws at a time of tense confrontation between Moscow and the West over the war in Ukraine.

He told the court at his trial that he loved Russia and apologised for breaking the law.

France said Vinatier had been arbitrarily detained and called for his release. President Emmanuel Macron denied that Vinatier worked for the French state and has described his arrest as part of a misinformation campaign by Moscow.

Vinatier is an employee of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Swiss-based conflict mediation organisation. Fellow academics who know him told Reuters he was a respected scholar involved in legitimate research.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Sonali Paul)