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A Moscow court has ordered that a French citizen accused of collecting information on military matters in Russia be placed in prison pending an investigation and trial.

Laurent Vinatier was arrested Thursday in the Russian capital, as tensions increase between Moscow and Paris following statements by French President Emmanuel Macron on the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.

Authorities accused Mr. Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information on Russia's “military and military-technical activities” that could be used to the detriment of Russia's security. country.

They did not provide details of the accusations, saying only that Mr. Vinatier traveled to Russia several times to gather this information. Under Russian law, this is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison.

The judge ordered Mr. Vinatier to remain in pre-trial detention until August 5.

Vinatier is an advisor to the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based non-governmental organization, which said it was doing “everything possible to help our colleague Lauren.”

The charges against Mr. Vinatier stem from a recently passed law that requires anyone collecting information on military matters to register with authorities as a foreign agent.

Human rights activists criticized the law and other laws passed recently as part of a multi-pronged crackdown by the Kremlin on independent media and political activists, aimed at stifling criticism of its actions in Ukraine.