French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that the recent arrest in France of Pavel Durov, the CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was not politically motivated but part of an independent investigation. Macron, in his first public statement about the arrest, emphasized on social media that France values freedom of expression but also underlines the importance of upholding freedoms within a legal framework to safeguard citizens and respect their rights. He clarified that the decision to arrest Durov is in the hands of the judiciary and not a political maneuver.
French media outlets reported that Pavel Durov was taken into custody at a Paris airport over the weekend based on an arrest warrant alleging that his platform was utilized for money laundering, drug trafficking, and various other crimes.