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France has moved to block access for United States Ambassador Charles Kushner after he failed to appear for a formal summons issued by the French Foreign Ministry over comments made by members of the Donald Trump administration regarding the killing of a far-right activist in Lyon, France 24 reported.
French Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said Kushner "did not appear" after being summoned following remarks by US officials on a tragedy that occurred in France and concerned the country's internal public debate. "In light of this apparent failure to grasp the basic requirements of the ambassadorial mission and the honour of representing one's country, Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot has requested that he no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government," the ministry said. While Kushner will be barred from direct access to French government ministers, he will be permitted to continue carrying out certain diplomatic responsibilities and maintain limited exchanges with officials, France 24 reported. France 24, citing the diplomatic sources of UK based news agency, reported that the summons followed comments published by the US Embassy in France concerning the death of a 23-year-old right-wing activist, Quentin Deranque, who died of head injuries after violent clashes in Lyon on February 14. The violence occurred on the sidelines of a protest against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party. A diplomatic source told Reuters that the summons followed comments published by the US Embassy in France concerning the death of a 23-year-old right-wing activist, Quentin Deranque, who died of head injuries after violent clashes in Lyon on February 14. The violence occurred on the sidelines of a protest against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party. According to reports of France based news agency, Kushner sent a senior embassy official in his place, citing personal commitments. Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to US President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, France 24 reported. The controversy escalated after US officials condemned what they described as "violent radical leftism" in connection with Deranque's death. Sarah Rogers, the US State Department Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy, said the killing demonstrated "why we treat political violence - terrorism - so harshly," adding on social media that resorting to killing over opinions amounted to opting "out of civilisation." The US Embassy in France and the State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism also stated that they were monitoring the case and warned that "violent radical leftism is on the rise" and should be treated as a public safety threat. French authorities have charged six men with preliminary offences in connection with the fatal assault, while a parliamentary assistant to an LFI lawmaker has been charged with complicity. Responding to the US remarks, Barrot said France "vehemently rejected" any attempt to exploit the tragedy for political purposes. "We reject any instrumentalisation of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends," he said, adding that France had "no lessons to learn" on the issue of violence. A rally in support of Deranque drew around 3,200 people in Lyon over the weekend, with authorities launching an investigation into reports of Nazi salutes during the gathering. French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to convene a meeting on Tuesday to address concerns over "violent action groups" amid rising tensions between political factions following the incident. (ANI)
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