Fedorova Affair: Can the journalist really be expelled to Russia?

Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova, known for her pro-Putin commentary and work with media group Bolloré, is facing expulsion from France. The Interior Ministry issued an expulsion order against her, which was delivered to her lawyer on July 29.

While the state theoretically can proceed with the expulsion immediately, Fedorova's lawyer, Me Emmanuel Piwnica, stated that his client will "immediately form a recourse." According to French law, Fedorova has a two-month window to file an appeal with the administrative tribunal. The tribunal is expected to rule on the case within a "reasonable timeframe."

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She is going to be expelled from France.

However, Me Piwnica noted that the legal process might be slowed down due to the approaching August holiday period. "This can go quite quickly under normal circumstances, but the problem is that we are going to enter the month of August," he explained.

An expulsion order is typically signed by the Minister of the Interior himself. While the legal recourse is not automatically suspensive, meaning it does not halt the enforcement of the ministerial order, a separate procedure is required to interrupt its executory nature. The article also notes that currently, no flights are operating to Russia, adding another layer of complexity to the potential expulsion.

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This can go quite quickly under normal circumstances, but the problem is that we are going to enter the month of August.