Russia accuses France of paranoia over refusal to accredit some Russian journalists for Olympics

Spokeswoman of Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova attends the annual press conference held by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2024. Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

MOSCOW - Russia said on Wednesday that France's refusal to accredit some Russian journalists to cover the Paris Olympics on security grounds was a sign of paranoia.

France's caretaker interior minister said on Sunday that French security services had rejected more than 4,000 applications for Olympics accreditations, including over espionage and cyberattack concerns.

Gerald Darmanin, who said close to one hundred applications had been rejected over espionage fears, said some of those turned down were from Russia and Belarus, a staunch ally of Moscow's.

"This is just paranoia, real paranoia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

-(Reuters)