Some Russian journalists denied the right to cover the Olympics

France has denied some Russian journalists the right to cover the 2024 Olympic Games. This was stated by the country’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, whose words are quoted by Le Journal du Dimanche.

Darmanin said that less than a hundred applications from media representatives were rejected due to suspicions of espionage and passing information to foreign countries. “Most of them were from Russia and Belarus, as well as a number of other countries, the list of which I will not disclose. We refused to accept a large number of “journalists” who claimed to be covering the Games,” he said.

The Interior Minister added that the precautionary principle was applied in this way. “They are probably not engaged in terrorist attacks. But, in addition to intelligence and traditional espionage, there is the possibility of gaining access to computer networks to carry out a cyber attack,” Darmanen explained.

In Paris 2024, 15 Russian athletes will compete in neutral status. These are cycling representatives Tamara Dronova, Alena Ivanchenko and Gleb Syritsa, Anzhela Bladtseva (trampoline), tennis players Daniil Medvedev, Roman Safiullin, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Mirra Andreeva, Pavel Kotov, Diana Schneider, Elena Vesnina, Zakhar Petrov, Alexey Korovashkov, Olesya Romasenko (all canoeists), and swimmer Evgeny Somov. However, they will not be able to take part in the opening ceremony of the Games.