France bans Russians, Belarusians suspected of foreign interference from attending Paris Olympics
Dozens of accreditation applications for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris were rejected on suspicions of Russia- or Belarus-backed foreign interference, Politico reported on July 21, citing French authorities.
In total, 4,340 applications from different individuals, including athletes, volunteers, and hired personnel, were rejected for various reasons, including Russian and Belarusian citizens, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche, Politico reported.
The French government introduced a verification system for all individuals seeking to participate in the event or access restricted zones because of cybersecurity, disinformation, and terror-related threats targeting the Olympics.
Darmanin added that Russia and Belarus may be sponsors of these suspected attempts. According to the minister, nearly 1 million background checks have been completed so far.
"In addition to intelligence and traditional espionage, there is the possibility of gaining access to computer network gateways to carry out a cyberattack," Darmanin said.
"For example, we have turned away large numbers of 'journalists' claiming to be covering the games."
The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place between July 26 and Aug. 11.
Only 140 Ukrainian athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this year, the smallest number in the history of the country's participation in the games.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the Olympics as neutral individual athletes, not under their country's colors. As of late July, 15 Russian and 16 Belarusian citizens had confirmed their participation in the Olympics.
Elsa Court
