Paris Court Rejects Xenia Fedorova's Appeal Against Expulsion and Asset Freeze

On August 3, the Paris administrative court dismissed an emergency appeal filed by Xenia Fedorova, the former head of RT France and a pro-Russian columnist, against her expulsion from France and the freezing of her assets. The court ruled that Fedorova failed to demonstrate the required "extreme urgency" necessary for such an appeal, noting she did not provide sufficient detail on how the decisions personally impacted her or justify a need to leave Paris.

Since Wednesday prior to the ruling, Fedorova has been under house arrest in Paris. The court highlighted that she had not sought authorization from the police prefect to leave the Paris area and had merely mentioned, without specifics, that the obligation to report regularly was inconvenient. This lack of precise justification led the tribunal to uphold the authorities' orders.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez characterized Fedorova’s conduct as propagandistic, accusing her of spreading Kremlin-aligned disinformation aimed at destabilizing France, particularly around the 2027 presidential election. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot similarly described her as an "influence agent." The asset freeze imposed on Fedorova aims to restrict her financial resources to prevent further interference activities within France.

Fedorova is accused by French authorities of facilitating Russian disinformation campaigns directed at undermining public order. The court’s rejection of her appeal marks a firm stance against foreign influence operations deemed harmful to national security. This ruling consolidates the government’s measures against individuals seen as conduits for foreign propaganda in France.