Lhe assassination in custody of Alexei Navalny has sparked outrage among democratic governments. The French ambassador in Moscow honored his memory by placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the monument to the victims of Russian repression. But unless they provoke mockery from the Kremlin, words and flowers cannot remain an acceptable response to this execution of a political opponent.
We have taken too long to appreciate the meaning of the litany of murders ordered by Vladimir Putin: the journalist Anna Politkovskaya killed in 2006, after an attempted poisoning in 2004; defector Alexander Litvinenko poisoned in 2006; former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov assassinated in 2015; the attempted poisoning of Vladimir Kara-Mourza in 2015 and 2017 and of Alexeï Navalny already in 2020, not to mention a multitude of lesser known cases.
However, until now and despite the war launched by Russia against Ukraine and the Kremlin’s diatribes against“West”Vladimir Putin has retained the dignity of Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, which had been granted to him by Jacques Chirac in 2006. We ask that this distinction be withdrawn from him, because we can only conceive of a repeat criminal, under arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, be authorized to display this decoration, which would then lose all meaning.
Adapt the laws
This symbolic but necessary measure must be accompanied by provisions essential to our security. How can we accept that the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center, located on Quai Branly, which constitutes a cog in Russian propaganda on our territory, retains a status of diplomatic extraterritoriality, obtained under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy with the approval of the former Prime Minister François Fillon, and that his staff enjoys the immunity it confers? One of its members, in particular, the former Russian ambassador to France Alexandre Orlov, is known for his activities in forging links with French propagandists in the Kremlin. He also spoke publicly again, on January 31, at the Mediterranean University Center in Nice. However, twenty-four hours are enough to revoke the diplomatic status of the Russian Orthodox Center and declare its members persona non grata.
Finally, at a time when the President of the Republic and the Ministers of the Armed Forces and Foreign Affairs reveal the extent of disinformation operations targeting France, we can no longer postpone the most severe measures provided for by law towards French nationals who , due to their paid relations with the Kremlin or its intermediaries, continue to serve as relays for its propaganda.
You have 60.6% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.