French Journalists Silenced for Asking Questions About Macron: Russian FM Spokeswoman to Sputnik
© Ludovic MarinFILE. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a national memorial ceremony for Hubert Germain at the Hotel des Invalides, Friday Oct.15, 2021 in Paris. A group of "atypical journalists," on the autism spectrum, got France's 45-year-old president to talk about himself with unusual and illuminating candour in a televised interview this weekend. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP)
![FILE. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a national memorial ceremony for Hubert Germain at the Hotel des Invalides, Friday Oct.15, 2021 in Paris. A group of atypical journalists, on the autism spectrum, got France's 45-year-old president to talk about himself with unusual and illuminating candour in a televised interview this weekend. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP) FILE. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a national memorial ceremony for Hubert Germain at the Hotel des Invalides, Friday Oct.15, 2021 in Paris. A group of atypical journalists, on the autism spectrum, got France's 45-year-old president to talk about himself with unusual and illuminating candour in a televised interview this weekend. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP) - Sputnik India, 1920, 09.02.2025](https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e9/02/09/8752046_0:161:3070:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f2c66bb24c02b77ac85f77df95eada2b.jpg)
© Ludovic Marin
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In an interview with Sputnik, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the harassment of French journalists investigating French President Emmanuel Macron's wife and called it an example of curbing freedom.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has raised concerns over the increasing pressure on French journalists from their own government, particularly those investigating sensitive topics related to President Emmanuel Macron’s family.
"French journalists are being targeted simply because they dare to ask their questions," Zakharova said in an interview with Sputnik.
🤐🇫🇷 French journalists SILENCED for 'daring to ask questions that interest them' — 🇷🇺 Russian FM spokeswoman to Sputnik
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) February 9, 2025
A prime example is the unfolding drama “involving some intriguing details about the Macrons,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tells… pic.twitter.com/TIsE2f9N8Z
The controversy dates back to December 2021, just months before the French presidential election, when independent journalist Natasha Ray claimed she had been investigating First Lady Brigitte Macron for several years. Ray alleged that Brigitte Macron, a former school teacher 24 years older than the president, was actually born a man — a claim that stirred intense debate.
However, by June 2023, the French Appeal Court convicted Natasha Ray and blogger Amandine Rua of defamation for spreading these allegations. In September 2024, both were ordered to pay fines in the case, further fueling discussions about press freedom and government pressure on independent journalism in France.