France to Deport Pro-Kremlin Journalist Fedorova, Puts Her Under House Arrest

France has ordered Xenia Fedorova, a controversial Russian journalist, to leave the country following allegations of spreading Kremlin propaganda on French television and radio. The interior ministry announced the decision on Wednesday, July 29. Fedorova, a regular contributor to news outlets owned by conservative French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has been confined to house arrest and must report to police daily, sources familiar with the case told AFP.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Xenia Fedorova is a journalist,” her lawyer, Emmanuel Piwnica, told AFP, adding that “this decision is a serious infringement of the freedom of expression of a journalist who has always carried out her work in the most proper manner possible.” Expulsion order cites disinformation campaign Disinformation experts have reportedly flagged concerns over the former RT journalist’s influence, as France approaches a presidential election next year. Fedorova led RT France from 2017 to 2023, when the outlet was shut down a year into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She remained in the country regardless, going on to secure a role as a commentator across Bolloré’s media holdings. According to Le Monde citing French newspaper Liberation, the expulsion order accused Fedorova of serving as “a conduit for disinformation campaigns orchestrated by the Russian authorities” aimed at “destabilising public order” in France. Other Topics of Interest ‘This Is No Laughing Matter’: Lavrov Says Entire West Has United Against Russia, Warns of Its ‘Dismemberment’ Lavrov also accused Western governments of issuing ultimatums to Moscow over ending the war. The order also accused her of contributing to the dissemination of disinformation intended to “manipulate public opinion” and “undermine the confidence of European citizens,” particularly French citizens. Fedorova regularly appears on Europe 1 radio and the CNews television channel, both owned by Bolloré, and writes columns for Le Journal du Dimanche, spreading Kremlin-aligned propaganda about Ukraine and the West. Macron has long questioned her credibility French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2017 that Fedorova, who then led RT France, was not acting as a genuine journalist, but rather as part of what he called a Russian “state propaganda agency.” Asked about her again on June 4 during a visit to Montenegro, Macron said his assessment had not changed. “I hold the same opinion,” he told reporters, referencing his earlier remarks made in Putin’s presence at Versailles in 2017, AFP reports. Macron also addressed criticism over Fedorova’s ten-year residence permit, granted in 2024, saying it was not his place as president to unilaterally revoke or grant such documents. “There are rules and procedures in our country,” he said, adding that “they must be respected.” Authorities say their options are limited French authorities have repeatedly expressed frustration with Fedorova’s pro-Kremlin stance, but said they had very few tools available to act against her, even as her residence permit was extended for a decade in 2024. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has previously described her as a “patented propagandist” and a “conduit of disinformation,” while government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said Fedorova’s remarks on Ukraine “completely distort” the facts surrounding the origins and continuation of the war, AFP reports. In early June, the centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament called for sanctions against Fedorova over her role in spreading propaganda related to the war in Ukraine and the European Union. Despite the pressure, she has never faced formal sanctions. Employers frame expulsion as free speech violation Fedorova’s employers said Wednesday, July 29, that they had learned of the expulsion order with astonishment. In a joint statement, Canal+, CNews, and Lagardère, which owns Europe 1, said that barring Fedorova from public debate would represent a significant blow to the freedom of expression in French media. They argued that protecting free speech matters most when opinions are unpopular or provoke disagreement, so long as they remain part of a legitimate democratic discourse. However, Russia itself continues to violate freedom of speech and expression, even beyond its own borders – as seen in two recent cases from June and July, when Russia sentenced LGBTIQ+ club owners to seven years in prison, and when Turkey deported an activist back to Russia over her anti-war stance. Deportation may prove difficult to enforce According to AFP, the broken diplomatic relationship between Paris and Moscow could complicate any effort to actually deport Fedorova back to Russia, even though she is currently barred from working in France while the case proceeds. Fedorova has lived in France for roughly a decade and is expected to challenge the expulsion order in court. According to her lawyer, she will “immediately file an appeal.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.