Paris court rejects appeal against expulsion order for Russian commentator Xenia Fedorova

A Paris administrative court has rejected an appeal by Russian television commentator Xenia Fedorova against an order requiring her to leave France. The ruling upholds measures taken by the French authorities after they accused her of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda. The case adds a legal dimension to an already sensitive dispute over media, politics and national security in France.

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The court said Fedorova had failed to show that the order would have "serious personal consequences". French authorities ordered the 45-year-old to leave the country last week and also froze her assets for six months. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the decision was justified because of what he described as repeated statements echoing Kremlin propaganda about France, the war in Ukraine and Russia's reasons for its invasion.

Fedorova, a former journalist for Russia's state-run RT channel, has said she was placed under house arrest under an emergency procedure. A source close to the case said she was under house arrest, while her employers said they were astonished by the expulsion order and argued that it amounted to a serious infringement of freedom of expression. The court ruling means the administrative measures remain in place for now, although the case continues to draw attention because of its political and media implications.

The dispute comes at a time when French officials have been increasingly alert to what they describe as foreign influence and disinformation. The allegations against Fedorova centre on her public commentary and on claims that she repeated narratives aligned with the Kremlin. That has made the case significant beyond the individual dispute, because it touches on how France balances national security concerns with press freedom and political speech.

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Fedorova also works for outlets in the media group of conservative French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, including the CNews television channel, and has written for Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper. Those outlets are widely followed and are expected to play a role in the 2027 presidential election, when the far right led by Marine Le Pen is seen as having its strongest chance yet of winning the presidency. The case therefore sits at the intersection of domestic media politics and wider tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine.

What remains unclear is whether Fedorova will pursue further legal action and how long the asset freeze and house arrest measures will remain in force. It is also not yet clear how the expulsion order will be enforced in practice or whether any additional appeals will alter the outcome. For now, the court's decision leaves the French government's position intact and keeps the case under close political scrutiny.

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