Russia bars two French lawmakers and two journalists
Russia announced entry bans on French lawmakers Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte and journalists Ariane Chemin and Paul Gogo. Moscow presented the measure as retaliation for French action against former RT France chief Xenia Fedorova. The decision follows a French expulsion order and asset freeze, as well as European Union sanctions against Fedorova.
Geopolitics··Midday
Moscow announces four entry bans
Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that French lawmakers Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte and journalists Ariane Chemin and Paul Gogo were barred from entering the country.[1], [2]
Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova presented the decision as retaliation for France’s expulsion of Xenia Fedorova, the former head of the Russian broadcaster RT’s French service. Moscow alleged that the four had participated in harassment of Fedorova and calls for her expulsion.[1]
Fedorova faces French and European measures
Fedorova has faced a French expulsion order and asset freeze since late July and European Union sanctions since September. The European Union accused her of spreading messages aligned with Russian authorities. Her appearances on other French media continued after RT’s broadcasting activities were suspended. The sanctions explanation accused her of portraying Western assistance to Ukraine as prolonging the war and Russia as seeking peace.[1]
Houlié responds to the ban
Delaporte had asked France’s interior minister in June about renewing Fedorova’s residence permit and called for its withdrawal. Houlié, a former chair of the National Assembly’s law committee who wrote a report on foreign interference, described the ban as recognition of his work against interference. Chemin is a senior reporter at Le Monde, a French newspaper, while Gogo has worked for several outlets and lived in Russia until February.[1]
