French authorities apprehended an unnamed man in response to a request from the Ministry of the Interior, conducting a search of his Paris apartment. The man was taken into custody on July 21, as reported by Le Parisien and Le Monde.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the police discovered items that raised concerns about his potential plans to disrupt the Olympic Games. An undisclosed source told Le Parisien that the disruption could be related to pro-Russian activities aimed at causing instability in France during the Olympics.
The Russian embassy in Paris stated that it has not been officially informed of the man’s detention by the French authorities.
The prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation against the Russian individual for potential collaboration with a foreign power to incite conflict in France. The man faces a possible 30-year prison sentence, according to the statement.
Sources close to the investigation revealed to Le Parisien that the plot was considered a significant operation with potentially grave repercussions, categorized as an espionage case rather than a counter-terrorism matter.
The arrest comes ahead of the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, where stringent security measures are in place to safeguard the 10,500 participating athletes and 11 million expected visitors. Approximately 30,000 armed police officers will be stationed daily, with an additional 45,000 guarding the opening event on the Seine River. A further 25,000 private security guards will also be deployed.
As part of security precautions, France’s Interior Ministry conducted thorough background checks on over one million individuals involved in the Games, resulting in the exclusion of more than 1,000 due to security concerns.