Russia Condemns EU Sanctions on Former RT France Editor-in-Chief

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia has criticised the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions on Ksenia Fedorova, the former editor-in-chief of RT France. In a statement issued on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the decision as an attack on a journalist’s freedom of expression.

According to Zakharova’s statement, the EU placed Fedorova on its sanctions list on September 24. The statement cited the EU Council’s description of her as a Russian media figure who disseminates pro-Russian narratives in France and the EU. Zakharova said Fedorova had not worked for Russian media for several years and was working for French media outlets.

The Russian spokeswoman alleged that the sanctions were linked to a French decision to expel Fedorova. Calling the actions of France and the EU politically motivated, she urged the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to assess them. She also warned that Russia would respond to the measures.

The EU’s stated grounds for the sanctions and Russia’s allegations about their political motivation are separate claims. The information available did not include a response from France or the EU to Zakharova’s latest statement.