French authorities have dismissed recent claims from Moscow that they denied visas to two Russian journalists as a reciprocal measure following Russia’s refusal to extend the work permit of French journalist Benjamin Quénelle. A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry clarified on Friday that the decision was not made in retaliation, and France would reassess the situation. This came after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized France for what he described as a “campaign of harassment” against Russian media. Peskov claimed that France had rejected the visa applications of two journalists from the Russian news outlet Izvestia, who were set to report on the 80th anniversary commemorations marking the end of WWII. According to Peskov, the French Embassy in Moscow had informed the journalists that they posed a threat to France’s public order and national security.
In a related development, Russian authorities revoked the press accreditation of Benjamin Quénelle, a journalist for Le Monde, one of France’s most prestigious newspapers, on February 5. This marks the first time since 1957 that Russia has denied accreditation to a Le Monde journalist. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the decision, attributing it to the ongoing dispute and framing Quénelle as a casualty of the situation. She explained that the action followed France’s denial of a visa application from journalist Alexander Kudelya of Komsomolskaya Pravda.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have called on Russian authorities to reconsider their decision and reverse the revocation of Quénelle’s accreditation, expressing their full support for the journalist.
