4 men charged in France with plotting to attack Russian dissident

ISTANBUL

Four men in France have been charged with plotting to attack a Russian opposition figure who has taken refuge in France, broadcaster BFM TV reported on Friday.

French authorities have foiled a plot to attack Vladimir Osechkin after arresting four suspects on Monday, who are now in pretrial detention.

The suspects, aged 26 to 38, are originally from Russia's Dagestan region, with one holding French nationality and having lived in France for 18 years.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office launched a judicial investigation on Thursday on charges of "participation in a terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing one or more crimes," the broadcaster said.

The National Police stated that before this judicial investigation, which began in mid-October, a preliminary inquiry was launched on September 19 and assigned to the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI).

According to the initial findings from the investigation, three of them conducted reconnaissance in April near Osechkin's home in Biarritz. One of the accused's mobile phones was discovered to contain videos of his home that did not show Osechkin.