Putin Gives Russian Citizenship To French Journalist Who Claimed Ukraine Carried Out Bucha Massacres

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given Russian citizenship to a French journalist who accused Ukraine of carrying out massacres which have been attributed to Russia.

French journalist Adrien Bocquet, also spelt Adrian Boke, 33, is a former soldier and a bestselling author, and was granted asylum status by the Russian authorities in January. Now the Russian authorities have reportedly given him citizenship as well.

The footage shows Bocquet shaking hands with a Russian official and holding up his asylum application in Moscow in January. He sought asylum in Russia after reportedly being attacked in Istanbul in Turkey following his claims.

A controversial figure, Bocquet has said that he was in Ukraine in the spring of 2022 working as a volunteer helping people and claims that he witnessed war crimes committed by the Ukrainian army.

Specifically, he said that the massacres in Bucha, which shocked the world, were staged by the Ukrainian military. This is also what the Russian Ministry of Defence has claimed.

Bocquet went to Istanbul in Turkey in September when he was reportedly attacked, being stabbed at least twice, according to Russian media.

This information has also been confirmed by the French government, which said at the time: "Adrien Bocquet, the former French soldier who had travelled to the Donbas region, was knifed by two men on the street in Istanbul."

In December, he asked the Russian authorities to grant him and his family assignment citizenship because he said he feared for his life, still according to Russian media.

Newsflash obtained a statement from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, dated 24th January, saying that they had recognised Bocquet's status as a refugee.

The statement said at the time: "In Moscow, employees of the migration unit of the Metropolitan Police accepted the petition of French journalist Adrian Boke to recognise him as a refugee in the territory of the Russian Federation.

"The decision will be made on the basis of federal legislation, taking into account the available information about the persecution of a journalist for an active pro-Russian position.

"Earlier, at the request of Adrian Boke, clarifications were sent to him on the procedure for regulating his legal status on the territory of our country."

And now Bocquet is among 34 people who have been granted Russian citizenship by presidential decree.