“We are in real trouble, this is an earthquake for us,” said the mother of Laurent Vinatier, who was convicted and faces a new trial.

The family now fears a new trial in the espionage case, as the procedures have become longer and the charges brought more stringent in recent months.

“We are in real distress because we are in uncertainty, because we don’t know anything. Everything happens in complete secrecy”condemned Wednesday in France Inter Brigitte Vinatier-Ehrmann, mother of French researcher Laurent Vinatier, has been detained in Russia for a year and a half and risks being tried again for espionage. According to his lawyer at AFP, Maître Frédéric Bélot, the espionage investigation is “extended, with submission of conclusions at the end of January” and experiment “maybe February 28th.”

“Being in complete blur was tough”confided in Laurent Vinatier’s mother. The researcher was sentenced to three years in prison in October 2024 for not registering as a“foreign agent”. Since late August, he has been the target of new espionage charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

“We are shocked and very worried, because 20 years in prison is such a terrible number that we cannot contemplate it. This is an earthquake for us. He is the game, let alone the hostage”from Russia, punished Laurent Vinatier’s mother. “Our son is a prisoner of something that goes beyond him because there are very significant tensions between France and Russia.”continued Brigitte Vinatier-Ehrman. “What they are saying is that if he is found guilty of espionage, he risks going to prison for several years”he confirmed.

“For us, it’s unimaginable because if he was really 20 years old, we would have already died when he got out of prison. I can’t even imagine my life without seeing my child, without holding him”complained Laurent Vinatier’s mother. “This is an ordeal that is becoming increasingly unbearable because now we have no positive elements that we can cling to.” He hoped “something positive”, “that France and Russia could reach an agreement on a prisoner exchange, as happened last year with American journalist Evan Gershkovich”. “Because you have to believe in something, you have to have a little hope. We have hope that there will be an exchange someday”added Brigitte Vinatier-Ehrmann. Wait, “The investigation is still continuing and we will wait until the end of January.”

We are afraid that he will be forgotten, that he will be in his cell and that he will no longer be useful, even if we know that France will not forget him. There will be a trial, I am very afraid we will lose track of him”Laurent Vinatier’s mother worries.

“We reacted now. We didn’t before, because the Quai d’Orsay advised us to remain cautious”said Brigitte Vinatier-Ehrmann. “We have created an association and we will open a site that will include a support committee, we will make noise and talk about Laurent as loudly as possible. We should know in France that there is a French political prisoner who has been waiting for more than 500 days in his cell in Russia”concluded Laurent Vinatier’s mother.