Russia protests detention of foreign ministry employee in France
Russia on Wednesday demanded an “explanation” from France following the detention of a Russian government employee at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, AFP reported.
The employee, who worked for Russia’s foreign ministry, was part of an official delegation and arrived in France on Sunday.
According to Russian officials, French border police confiscated the employee’s phone and computer upon her arrival and detained her for several hours, despite her having a valid French visa.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the incident as a “shameful spectacle” and condemned the treatment of the diplomat.
The Russian Embassy in Paris immediately dispatched a consular officer to the airport, who was reportedly forced to wait nearly seven hours to speak with the detained employee.
Zakharova emphasized that Russia would not let the matter go without consequences.
“What happened on April 6 at Charles de Gaulle airport has no explanation.
“The Russian Embassy immediately sent a consular officer to the airport. Our diplomat had to wait almost seven hours for access to their colleague, who had arrived in France as part of an official delegation.
“We do not intend to leave this without consequences,” Zakharova said.
The Kremlin expressed its outrage, calling the detention “totally unacceptable” and warning that it would further damage already strained relations between Russia and France.
In response, Russia sent a formal protest note to the French foreign ministry and summoned the French ambassador in Moscow.
Tensions between the two countries have been escalating, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
France has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, which has led to frequent diplomatic spats, including the expulsion of numerous diplomats from both nations.
The French government has yet to respond publicly to Russia’s demands for clarification.
However, the incident came amid broader geopolitical tensions, with French President Emmanuel Macron recently accusing Russia of employing “stalling tactics” in peace negotiations over the Ukraine conflict.
In a separate ongoing issue, Moscow is holding French researcher Laurent Vinatier, accusing him of unspecified charges, which Paris has denounced as “arbitrary.”
