The Kremlin has criticized France’s decision to deny accreditation to certain Russian journalists for the Paris 2024 Olympics, calling it unacceptable and alleging that French authorities are undermining media freedom.
This decision follows an announcement by France’s caretaker interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, who revealed that French security services had rejected over 4,000 accreditation applications due to concerns about espionage and cyberattacks.
Among those rejected were journalists from Russia and Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.
Darmanin revealed that nearly a hundred applications were specifically denied due to espionage concerns. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized these decisions as “unacceptable” and claimed they undermine media freedom. Peskov argued that France’s actions breach its obligations to the OSCE and other international bodies committed to media freedom, and called on human rights organizations to address the issue.
The debate over media freedom has intensified following recent developments involving Russia. On Friday, Russia faced global condemnation for convicting U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich, who received a 16-year sentence in a maximum-security penal colony on espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich’s employer, denounced the ruling as a “disgraceful sham,” asserting that Gershkovich was merely fulfilling his role as an accredited journalist in Russia. The Kremlin maintained that Gershkovich was caught spying “red-handed,” though it provided no evidence prior to the verdict.
The tension between Russia and France has also been exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. France has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, providing military aid and condemning Russian actions. President Emmanuel Macron has described Russia as a significant adversary, warning that Europe’s credibility would be jeopardized if Moscow were to prevail in the conflict.
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