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French Court Rejects Emergency Appeal by Pro-Kremlin Columnist Xenia Fedorova
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The Paris Administrative Court rejected an emergency appeal on August 3, filed by 45-year-old pro-Kremlin columnist Xenia Fedorova against a deportation order and the freezing of her assets.
The judge in chambers ruled that the legal requirement of "extreme urgency" was not demonstrated, as reported by BFM.
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Fedorova, who formerly headed the television channel Russia Today in France before it was banned in the European Union following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has been under house arrest since Wednesday.
According to a court statement, Fedorova claimed that she had "no need to leave the Paris region," "did not request authorization from the police prefect," and only "indicated, without any specifics, that the reporting requirement causes her inconvenience."
Magistrates noted that while Fedorova chose an emergency release procedure that requires demonstrating an urgent situation justifying action within 48 hours, her filing relied solely on presumptions not applicable to her case rather than stating "serious personal consequences resulting for her from the contested decisions."
Fedorova faces accusations of acting as a "relay for disinformation campaigns directed by the Russian authorities" to cause the "destabilization of public order" in France.
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Her recent media presence—primarily on CNews, Europe 1, and the weekly publication JDNews, all affiliated with conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré—raised concerns regarding potential manipulation of public debate ahead of the 2027 French presidential election campaign.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez justified the deportation decision by citing "numerous remarks she systematically made that echo Kremlin propaganda regarding France’s commitments regarding what is happening in Ukraine, regarding the causes and motives of Russian aggression in Ukraine."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also described the Russian citizen as an "agent of influence." Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy and Finance stated that her assets were frozen to prevent "further acts of interference" by halting any provision or use of "funds or economic resources to the benefit of this person and legal entities or any other entities that she controls, owns, or that knowingly act on her behalf."
On July 29, 2026, the French Ministry of the Interior issued an administrative expulsion order against Xenia Fedorova, revoking her residence permit over allegations of spreading Kremlin-directed disinformation.
Officials determined that the former RT France head’s appearances on French media platforms posed a current threat to public order and the nation's fundamental interests.
Authorities barred her from working in the country, citing her role as a channel for Moscow-led efforts to undermine trust in European institutions.
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