Moscow claims to have detained a French citizen accused of collecting information about Russia’s military activities and failing to register as a “foreign agent”.
“Such information, if obtained from foreign sources, could be used against state security,” the Russian Investigative Committee (SK) said.
It also published images purportedly showing the arrest of the unidentified suspect in a Moscow cafe.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the man did not work for France.
A Swiss-based NGO later said its adviser Laurent Vinatier was being detained in the Russian capital.
“We are aware that Laurent Vinatier, advisor to the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), has been detained in Russia,” a spokesperson for the non-governmental organization told the AFP news agency.
“We are working to obtain more details about the circumstances and secure Laurent’s release,” he added.
The NGO states that its main activity is “to prevent and resolve armed conflicts around the world through mediation and discreet diplomacy”.
Later on Thursday, President Macron said the detained man was “in no way someone working for France.”
Relations between Paris and Moscow are strained due to Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a statement released on Thursday, the SK said that a criminal case had been opened and that the suspect would be charged in the “near future”.
The Frenchman, he said, repeatedly visited Russia over several years, holding meetings with Russian citizens.
The 19-second video released by SK shows a man, whose face is blurred, being detained by Russian police officers, before being taken to an SK van.
The Frenchman is also accused of not having presented documents necessary for “inclusion in the register of foreign agents”.
Russia requires anyone who receives foreign support or is under foreign influence to declare themselves such an agent. He used the 2012 law to crush any opposition within the country to President Vladimir Putin, and also as a pretext to detain people, including foreigners.
Last year, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested on similar charges.
The charge carries a prison sentence of up to five years.
