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French Cyclist Sofiane Sehili Freed By Russian Court After Border Crossing Case
A Russian court on Thursday freed French endurance cyclist Sofiane Sehili, who had been found guilty of illegally crossing the Russian border, according to state news agency RIA. Sehili was arrested in early September while attempting to complete a record-breaking solo cycling journey across Eurasia.
The court in Russia’s Far Eastern region ruled that Sehili would not have to pay a 50,000-rouble fine, effectively clearing the way for his release, RIA reported.
Sehili, a French national who calls himself an “ultra-endurance racer and adventure cyclist,” had been trying to become the fastest person to cycle from Lisbon to Vladivostok, crossing 17 countries in the process.
According to Le Monde, Sehili was arrested after twice attempting to enter Russia from China during his record bid. His journey began in Lisbon in early July, and he had planned to reach Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, by early September.
Before his arrest, Sehili reportedly approached customs officers at the border, believing they would allow him to continue his journey on his bicycle. His partner, Fanny Bensussan, told France 3 Occitanie that Sehili had acted in good faith and did not realise the crossing would be considered illegal.
“He thought he could present himself to the border officials and they would let him through,” Bensussan said in September.
A former archivist at the French cultural magazine Télérama, Sehili later reinvented himself as an ultra-distance cyclist, known for completing multi-thousand-kilometre rides through extreme conditions and remote regions.
His detention drew attention in France amid ongoing tensions between Paris and Moscow, whose relations have deteriorated sharply since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Several Western nationals have been detained in Russia in the past two years, further straining diplomatic ties.
Sehili’s release marks the end of a months-long ordeal and allows him to resume his life as one of Europe’s most recognised adventure cyclists.