France Denies Kremlin's Claims of Visa Discrimination Amid Growing Media Tensions
Tensions between France and Russia have escalated over press freedoms, with both nations accusing each other of restrictive media policies. The French government has denied recent allegations from the Kremlin, which claimed that Paris was engaging in discriminatory visa practices against Russian journalists.
France Rejects Visas for Russian Journalists, Denies Retaliation
In recent weeks, French authorities have denied visas to three Russian journalists. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov strongly condemned the move, accusing France of launching a “campaign of harassment against Russian media.” The two latest rejections were for journalists from the Russian news outlet Izvestia, who were planning to report on events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II this year.
According to Peskov, the French Embassy in Moscow justified the visa denials by claiming the journalists posed a threat to France’s public order and national security. However, the French Foreign Ministry has denied that these decisions were taken as a retaliatory measure against Moscow.
“This is yet another obstacle to the freedom to inform, at a time when working conditions for journalists in Russia, whether Russian or foreign, are already extremely poor and press freedom is not respected,” a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry stated.
Russia Expels Le Monde Correspondent After 20 Years
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry revoked the press accreditation of Le Monde correspondent Benjamin Quénelle, who has been covering Russia for two decades. This move marks the first time since 1957 that the French newspaper will not have a journalist based in Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that the decision was made in direct response to France's refusal to grant a visa to Russian journalist Alexander Kudelya of the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
“Despite our repeated attempts to raise this issue, they decided not to issue a visa to the Komsomolskaya Pravdareporter… We retaliated against a Le Monde journalist who happened to be the next in line for obtaining a journalist visa for working in Russia,” Zakharova stated.
Press Freedom Concerns Escalate
The decision to expel Quénelle has sparked international backlash. The International Federation and the European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) have publicly urged Russian authorities to reconsider their decision.
Jérôme Fenoglio, director of Le Monde, has also expressed concerns, emphasizing that the newspaper has maintained a presence in Moscow for nearly seven decades. “For the first time since 1957, Le Monde is prevented from having a correspondent based in Moscow,” Fenoglio stated.
With both countries engaging in diplomatic tit-for-tat measures, media freedom continues to face significant challenges. Journalists working in Russia—both foreign and domestic—are increasingly finding themselves under pressure as geopolitical tensions mount.
Source: Schengen.News
