France has ordered pro-Russian journalist Ksenia Fyodorova, the former editor-in-chief of RT France, to leave the country, saying she poses a serious threat to public order.
The expulsion order was sent on Wednesday by the Interior Ministry to Fyodorova’s lawyer.
According to the newspaper Libération, the ministerial order says the 45-year-old acts as “a conduit for disinformation campaigns directed by the Russian authorities”.
For that reason, the order states, her presence in France represents "a particularly serious threat to public order". Fyodorova has already said she will appeal against the decision.
RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a state-controlled Russian news network widely regarded as a Kremlin propaganda outlet.
The channel was banned across the European Union in March 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Despite that ban, Fyodorova continued to appear regularly on programmes on CNews and Europe 1.
She also wrote a column for the Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, giving prominence to the Russian narrative of the war in Ukraine.
The case caused controversy in France at the end of May, when Le Monde revealed that Fyodorova’s residence permit had been renewed for 10 years.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said at the time that the extension was granted automatically under standard rules for foreign nationals who have lived legally in France for many years and meet a set of conditions.
Nuñez stressed that the renewal was not a political decision by the government.
Fyodorova’s lawyer said on Wednesday that an appeal against the expulsion would be filed "immediately".
He said the move amounted to "a serious violation of the freedom of expression of a journalist who has always carried out her work in the most proper manner".
