Paris court upholds expulsion of pro-Kremlin TV star Xenia Fedorova

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A Paris court on Monday rejected Russian television star Xenia Fedorova’s appeal against a ruling that she must leave the country, a week after French authorities accused her of acting as “a conduit for disinformation campaigns” orchestrated by Moscow to “destabilize public order.”

The former head of Kremlin-backed RT France, who has been under house arrest in Paris since Wednesday, challenged three government measures: the expulsion order, a requirement that she remain in Paris and report to police daily, and a six-month asset freeze. But an administrative court ruled she had failed to demonstrate any of these measures caused her immediate and serious harm.

The former RT France chief was a regular commentator on media platforms owned by conservative French billionaire Vincent Bolloré — including CNews and Europe 1 — where her Russia-friendly views on Ukraine, NATO and European security had come under growing scrutiny ahead of the country’s 2027 presidential election.

Fedorova on Friday took to social media to reject the allegations, accusing President Emmanuel Macron’s government of “political pressure” and “censorship of opinions that do not align with the official narrative,” insisting she had merely exercised her right to express her views after living in France for nearly a decade.

On Monday, she said she intends to legally challenge the measures, but will not return to France until her ban from the country is suspended or overturned.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the expulsion last week, saying Fedorova “simply relays Russian propaganda” that seeks “to undermine the democratic functioning of France,” while Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has described her as “a proven propagandist, who serves as a relay for Kremlin disinformation.”

Monday’s ruling only concerned Fedorova’s request to suspend the measures, not the merits of the expulsion order itself.

This article has been updated.