Russia accuses France of paranoia over refusal to accredit some Russian journalists for Olympics

FILE PHOTO: Spokeswoman of Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova attends the annual press conference held by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Wednesday that France's refusal to accredit some Russian journalists to cover the Paris Olympics on security grounds was a sign of paranoia.

France's caretaker interior minister said on Sunday that French security services had rejected more than 4,000 applications for Olympics accreditations, including over espionage and cyberattack concerns.