French researcher Laurent Vinatier was found guilty by a Moscow court of violating Russian "foreign agent" laws and sentenced to three years in prison, Reuters reports.
The judge ignored a defense plea to sentence the 48-year-old instead of jailing him.
Vinatije, in a speech before the court before being sentenced, said he loved Russia, apologized for breaking the law, and even recited a verse by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
The longtime former Soviet Union researcher was arrested in June by the FSB security service and accused of failing to register as a foreign agent in Russia while collecting military information of value to foreign intelligence services.
The criminal offense carries a sentence of up to five years, but the prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and three months in recognition of the fact that Vinatije admitted his guilt.
France says Vinatije is being detained arbitrarily and has called for his release.
French President Emmanuel Macron denied that Vinatije worked for the French state and described the arrest as part of Moscow's disinformation campaign.
Vinatije is an employee of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Swiss organization for conflict mediation. Fellow academics who know him told Reuters that he is a respected scientist involved in legitimate research.
Bonus video:
