French Authorities Foil Alleged Plot Targeting Russian Whistleblower Vladimir Osechkin
PARIS (AFP) — French prosecutors have charged four men over an alleged plot to kill or abduct Russian dissident Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of the rights group Gulagu.net, which exposed systematic torture and abuse in Russian prisons.
The suspects, aged between 26 and 38, were indicted this week on charges of “terrorist criminal association” and remain in custody, France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) announced on Friday.
Authorities believe the group was planning an attack on French soil against Osechkin, a prominent Kremlin critic who has lived in exile in Biarritz, southwestern France, since 2015.
Who Is Vladimir Osechkin? A Dissident Who Exposed Russia’s Prison Torture System
Vladimir Osechkin, 42, fled Russia after receiving threats linked to his activism. He later founded Gulagu.net, a whistleblowing platform that collects and publishes evidence of torture, sexual abuse, and human rights violations within Russia’s penal system.
In 2021, Gulagu.net released over 1,000 leaked videos filmed inside Russian prisons, including graphic footage showing rape and torture of inmates. The revelations triggered international outrage and forced Russian authorities to launch a rare investigation into prison officials.
Osechkin has since become one of the most high-profile Russian dissidents in Europe — and, he says, a target of “Putin’s assassins.”
“I thank the French counter-terrorism services for saving me and my family from these gangsters, these killers,” Osechkin told AFP. “They were sent to silence me for exposing the truth about the regime.”
Details of the Alleged Assassination Plot
According to sources close to the case, the four suspects are all from Dagestan, a republic in Russia’s North Caucasus region, although one also holds French nationality.
Three of the men allegedly traveled to Biarritz in April, where they filmed locations near Osechkin’s residence. Investigators later recovered video footage showing the dissident’s home but not Osechkin himself.
When questioned, the main suspect insisted that the group had simply been “on holiday” in the French resort town — but investigators found multiple inconsistencies in their accounts.
The anti-terror prosecutor’s office said that an investigation had been launched in September 2025, after intelligence officials uncovered “credible indications” of a plot to “kill, harm, or kidnap” a Russian national granted asylum in France.
Previous Threats and Attempts on Osechkin’s Life
This is not the first time Osechkin has faced danger in exile. In 2022, French prosecutors opened an investigation after he reported an assassination attempt. Osechkin said that while working late one evening at his home in Biarritz, he noticed “a red laser dot” moving across his wall — a possible sight from a firearm.
Although that case was later closed due to “a lack of objective evidence,” Osechkin has remained under police protection since early 2022 after French intelligence reportedly warned him of a Kremlin-backed plot against his life.
The latest arrests appear to confirm those fears, reinforcing growing concerns about Russia’s operations targeting dissidents abroad.
Moscow’s Long Arm: A Pattern of Attacks on Russian Exiles
Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that Russian security services continue to pursue defectors, whistleblowers, and opposition figures living abroad.
In recent years, several suspected assassination plots have been uncovered across Europe — including poisonings, staged car crashes, and contract killings — many linked to the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Experts say the Osechkin case fits this pattern.
“The Kremlin views defectors who expose internal abuses as a direct threat,” said a Paris-based security analyst. “Osechkin’s work on torture in Russian prisons embarrassed Moscow internationally, making him a symbolic target.”
Gulagu.net: Exposing a Hidden System of Torture
Gulagu.net has become one of the most influential Russian human rights initiatives operating outside the country. Its network of informants — including former inmates and guards — has documented systemic sexual violence, forced confessions, and executions across dozens of Russian penal colonies.
Osechkin claims the group’s archives contain “enough evidence to indict hundreds of officials,” from prison wardens to Federal Security Service (FSB) officers.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the site has also reported on the recruitment of prisoners for the war effort, as well as the treatment of Ukrainian POWs held in Russian custody.
France’s Growing Role in Protecting Russian Dissidents
France has become a key refuge for exiled Russian activists, journalists, and opposition figures since the Kremlin’s crackdown intensified in the 2020s.
The French government has faced pressure to strengthen protection measures for political refugees who may be vulnerable to foreign assassination plots.
“This case is a warning that Russian dissidents are not safe, even in Western democracies,” said a European intelligence source quoted by AFP. “The reach of Moscow’s security apparatus extends far beyond its borders.”
What Comes Next
The four suspects remain in custody while French prosecutors continue gathering evidence. The PNAT has not confirmed whether Russian intelligence agencies are directly linked to the plot, but officials say the case bears similarities to previous GRU operations in Europe.
For Osechkin, the arrests are both a relief and a reminder of his precarious existence.
“I live in freedom,” he told AFP, “but it’s a freedom under constant threat.”
Leave a Reply