Thousands of Russians and Belarusians barred from Paris Olympics over espionage concerns
French authorities have conducted nearly one million background checks in preparation for the Paris Olympics, rejecting thousands of applications over security concerns.
French authorities have rejected thousands of applications for the upcoming Paris Olympics, including those from Russian and Belarusian citizens suspected of attempting foreign interference, Politico reports.
According to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, nearly one million background checks have been conducted on individuals seeking to participate in or access restricted areas of the 2024 Olympic Games, as per Politico. Out of 4,340 rejected applications, fewer than 100 were linked to alleged foreign interference attempts.
“In addition to intelligence and traditional espionage, there’s the possibility of gaining access to computer network gateways to carry out a cyber attack,” Darmanin told Le JDD. He added, “For example, we have turned away large numbers of ‘journalists’ claiming to be covering the Games.”
The minister emphasized that Russia and Belarus were among the suspected sponsors of these interference attempts. This revelation comes as tensions remain high due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Despite these security measures, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in the Paris Games under certain conditions. They must participate as Individual Neutral Athletes, without their country’s colors, and undergo a vetting process to ensure they do not support the invasion of Ukraine or have ties to the military.
The Paris Olympics are set to begin on Friday with an unprecedented open-air opening ceremony along the River Seine. Darmanin reassured the public that there was “no clear threat” to the event with less than a week to go, despite longstanding security concerns.
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