Kremlin condemns France for detaining Russian diplomat at airport

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has sharply criticized the French authorities over the detention of a Russian Foreign Ministry employee, calling the move a violation of diplomatic norms and an unfriendly act that further strains bilateral relations.

France's actions "contradict all of the French state's obligations under the Vienna Convention" and were "unacceptable and inadmissible" with regard to Russian representatives and diplomats, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“We condemn such actions by France and consider them unacceptable and inadmissible,” Peskov stated, adding that the incident will only worsen the already tense relationship between Moscow and Paris.

The controversy erupted after Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova revealed that French border officials had detained a staff member of the Russian Foreign Ministry upon her arrival in France.

Zakharova said that the diplomat was held in the airport’s border zone for 24 hours, during which time her personal electronic devices, including her computer and phone, were confiscated.

Although the diplomat was eventually permitted to enter French territory following what Zakharova described as a series of diplomatic démarches, the Russian government viewed the incident as a serious breach of protocol.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière to formally protest the treatment of the Russian official.

By Khagan Isayev