French Government Threatens CNews With Sanctions if Russian Propagandist Returns on Air

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has warned television channel CNews that it could face criminal proceedings if it puts Xenia Fedorova, the former head of RT France who was expelled from the country in July, back on air. The warning came after the news channel signaled that Fedorova could return to its programming via video link from abroad.

Fedorova, 45, was ordered to leave France and had her assets frozen after authorities determined she had served as a relay for Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating French public debate. She had previously led RT France, the French branch of the Russian state controlled broadcaster, before the network was banned from airing in the European Union.

In a letter to French media regulator Arcom, Nunez said any return to air by Fedorova, even remotely, would directly contravene the expulsion and asset freezing measures imposed against her and could expose the channel, as much as Fedorova herself, to several criminal charges. The minister's letter puts Arcom on notice just weeks ahead of a possible reappearance by the former RT France chief on CNews.

The episode is part of a broader push by French authorities against relays of Russian disinformation, which has already led to the blocking of several Russian media websites by French internet providers and the adoption of a rapid response mechanism against fake news. It also underscores lingering tension over CNews's editorial line, which critics regularly accuse of giving outsized airtime to pro Russian or far right voices.

This account draws on reporting by Euronews and France 24.