French prosecutors launch investigation into Russian interference in election

The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office's department for the protection of fundamental freedoms has launched an investigation "on its own initiative" into suspicions of Russian interference in France's presidential election.

Source: French broadcaster BFMTV, as reported by European Pravda

Details: A series of destabilisation operations attributed to pro-Russian networks this summer targeted three officially declared or potential presidential candidates. Édouard Philippe was the subject of false rumours regarding his health, and Raphaël Glucksmann was targeted via his partner Léa Salamé, while Gabriel Attal was portrayed, among other things, as someone who was likely suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Although the operations largely went unnoticed, according to a security source, they were the first to directly target presidential candidates since the start of their election campaigns.

"The AC2 department, which is responsible for the protection of fundamental freedoms, took the initiative to launch an investigation into the three individuals mentioned before receiving the complaints submitted to the prosecution service," the prosecutor's office said.

Gabriel Attal, a candidate in the 2027 presidential election and leader of the Renaissance party and former prime minister, filed a complaint on 7 August over "foreign interference" "originating from Russian networks", his lawyers Sacha Ghozlan and Lucas Veil said.

Raphaël Glucksmann, for his part, announced on 12 August that he had filed a complaint. "It is extremely important to say this simple thing: we cannot allow Vladimir Putin's Russia to manipulate the 2027 election, which is a matter of survival for the French people," the politician said during a visit to the Aude department.

Background:

• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot previously warned that Paris "will not tolerate any attempts at foreign interference".
• French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu expects various political forces to cooperate with the government to counter foreign interference in the presidential campaign.

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