Espionage and interference in Russian interests: three people imprisoned in Paris
Three people were indicted and jailed in Paris as part of a twin case of economic espionage for Moscow’s benefit and interference following the discovery of a poster reading “80 years (referring to the anniversary of the end of the Second World War). Give thanks to the Soviet army who won at the Arc de Triomphe.”
One of those charged, Viacheslav P., a 40-year-old Russian citizen, was identified by surveillance cameras for putting up posters glorifying Russia in early September, prosecutors said, when asked about the information revealed by Parisian And Online Intelligence. He then reported by telephone to the founder of the SOS Donbass association, a 40-year-old French-Russian suspected of approaching French company executives to obtain economic information.
The latter, Anna Novikova, born in Siberia, has been of interest to the Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI) since at least the beginning of the year. Counter-espionage has been detected “actions that may be detrimental to the fundamental interests of the State”leading to the opening of a preliminary investigation. An investigative judge was then appointed in March, specifically to investigate “intelligence with foreign powers”an offense punishable by ten years in prison. The third person jailed was 63-year-old man born in Seine-Saint-Denis, Vincent P.
The fourth defendant, Bernard F., 58 years old, born in Paris, managed to escape from pre-trial detention. He was however placed under strict judicial supervision, which required him to report once a week to the police station and submit his identity documents, but also prohibited him from carrying out any associative activities related to “French international policy, Russian policy or assistance to the people resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict”.
The association, according to DGSI suspicions, acted as a cover for such espionage and destabilization activities, called “SOS Donbass” (for “Donbass Southwest Solidarity”), was declared in September 2022 to the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It presents itself as a humanitarian aid organization, organizing fundraising for aid convoys for civilians in war-torn eastern Ukraine. The website also provides ready-to-print posters with the slogan “Russia is not my enemy”.
