MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. The decision by the French authorities to deny Russian journalists accreditation to work at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris is a human rights violation, Russia’s US-born lawmaker Jeff Monson told TASS on Monday.

According to Monson, what the French authorities are doing is a pure "violation of human rights" and "restricts freedom of the media."

Ex-MMA star Monson added that he was not surprised by the West’s recent behavior, as they had long ago forgotten about their democratic values.

On July 21, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, that the French government had refused to accredit a number of Russian journalists who applied to work at the 2024 Summer Olympics, "as a precautionary measure."

According to Darmanin, the French special services reviewed over 960,000 applications filed from all over the world, and rejected 4,340 of them. These included from volunteers, journalists and members of sporting delegations, he said.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11.

Given the high risk of potential threats at the opening ceremony, which will take place along the Seine embankment and Trocadero Square, a decision was made to reduce the number of spectators from 600,000 to 326,000. Before the Games kick off later this week, special QR codes will be issued to anyone moving around near the Olympic facilities and Paris embankments.