A worker for a Geneva international organisation, renowned for its discreetness and neutrality, has been implicated in an alleged espionage scandal.
The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue aims to prevent conflict through mediation. Its very nature means that many of its activities are confidential.
One of its workers, Laurent Vinatier, has been arrested in Moscow – is accused of collecting information about the Russian military.
The 48-year-old Frenchman works with Russian contacts often, especially recently to try to maintain dialogue with more liberally minded Russians.
One source says that categorically he’s not a spy, he’s a facilitator.
The centre says it’s working to get more information and secure his release.
There are current tensions between Paris and Moscow as the French promise to send more military equipment to Ukraine and then with Switzerland, ahead of the peace conference to which Russia was not invited.
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