France detains Russian national for espionage ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
A 40-year-old Russian national has been taken into custody in Paris, the city's prosecution office announced on Tuesday, July 23. The man is suspected of engaging in "espionage on behalf of a foreign state with the intent to incite hostilities in France" . According to the Le Parisien newspaper, the Russian has been formally charged.
During a search of the suspect's apartment, authorities found "evidence suggesting he was preparing a pro-Russian operation designed to destabilize France during the Olympic Games”, an insider connected to the investigation told = the press. Another source indicated that the plot might have been a "large-scale project" with potentially "serious" consequences.
The investigation is being conducted by France’s Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI), a counterespionage agency, rather than a counterterrorism one, according to Le Parisien. If convicted, the man faces up to 30 years in prison.
On June 5, authorities announced the arrest near Charles de Gaulle Airport of a Donbas native with dual Russian and Ukrainian citizenship. The 26-year-old man was hospitalized with severe facial burns following the explosion of a homemade bomb he was assembling. Searches of his hotel room uncovered several explosive devices, raw materials for their manufacture, cash, fake passports, and firearms.
Preliminary data suggest the suspect attempted to create multiple explosive devices to target French military equipment intended for shipment to Ukraine. The investigation is being carried out jointly by the DGSI and France's National Antiterrorism Prosecution Office.
Meanwhile, French authorities have denied access to dozens of foreigners, fearing espionage during the Olympics. The ban affects around 100 individuals from Russia, Belarus, and several other countries, as disclosed by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on July 20 to the publication Le Journal du Dimanche.
Darmanin clarified that these individuals had intended to attend the 2024 Olympics posing as journalists, physiotherapists, or technical staff. "They likely wouldn't be here to commit attacks. However, beyond espionage, there are concerns about access to network entry points for potential cyberattacks," Darmanin stated.
Overall, Darmanin noted that among 960,000 files reviewed by intelligence agencies, 4,340 people were denied work or attendance at the 2024 Summer Games, including volunteers, stadium workers, and members of sports delegations. Suspected ties to terrorism, Islamist activities, right- and left-wing radicalism, and past convictions are among the reasons for these refusals.
The Summer Olympics in Paris are set to take place from July 26 to August 11. Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under a neutral status.