Russia bars two French MPs and two journalists over Fedorova dispute

The entry bans apply to French MPs Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte, and journalists Ariane Chemin and Paul Gogo.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the four of harassing Fedorova and calling for her expulsion, according to Russian news agency Interfax. AFP reported that the ministry did not cite specific statements by the four. Delaporte had asked the French government in June whether it would begin expulsion proceedings against Fedorova, Euronews reported.

France issued an expulsion order against Fedorova, a former head of RT France, in July. Her lawyer said she was already abroad at the time, according to Euronews. Fedorova has challenged the order, describing it as censorship and political pressure.

Separately, the EU imposed sanctions on Fedorova in September, including an asset freeze. The Council of the EU said she had spread narratives in French media that aligned with those promoted by Russian authorities.

Delaporte described the Russian entry ban as an attempt at intimidation and called for a firm diplomatic response from France, Euronews reported. The newspapers Le Monde, where Chemin works, and Ouest-France, which has worked with Gogo, also condemned the decision as a restriction on press freedom.