Macron says there is no political motive behind arrest of Telegram CEO – World

PARIS: Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, has been arrested in France as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. There was no political motive, French President Macron said on Monday.

Macron’s statement on X was the first official confirmation of Durov’s arrest, nearly two days after he was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, shortly after landing in a private jet from Azerbaijan.

The lack of official confirmation had led to speculation about the reasons behind his arrest. Macron said he had “read false information here about France after the arrest of Pavel Durov”, adding that France is strongly committed to freedom of expression.

“The arrest of the Telegram president on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation,” Macron wrote. “This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”

A police spokesman told Reuters that Durov was being investigated by the country’s cybercrime and fraud bureaus for failing to cooperate in cyber and financial crimes on Telegram, a popular messaging and social media app similar to WhatsApp. He remains in custody, the spokesman said.

Reuters was unable to speak to any lawyer representing him.

Durov’s arrest led to criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said freedom of speech in Europe was under pressure, and calls from Moscow for French authorities to allow Durov to leave

his rights.

Tensions between France and Russia have been rising for months. French authorities accuse Russia of trying to destabilize the country in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Paris. This is said to be a response to Russia’s aggressive stance towards the war in Ukraine. Russia denies these claims.

Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire who plays the role of “Russian Mark Zuckerberg,” holds dual citizenship from France and the United Arab Emirates. He has a fortune of $15.5 billion, according to Forbes. Durov said in April that some governments had pressured him, but the app must remain a neutral platform and not a “player in geopolitics.”

Telegram did not provide details about the arrest, but said the Dubai-based company complied with European Union laws and that its moderation was “within industry standards and continuously improving.”

“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels regularly across Europe,” Telegram said in a statement. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.” Asked about his arrest on Monday, the Kremlin said it had not yet seen any official French charges against Durov.

“We do not yet know exactly what Durov is accused of,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference.

“What exactly are they trying to incriminate Durov with? Without (knowing it) it would probably be wrong to make statements,” Peskov said.

The Russian embassy in Paris said on X that French authorities had refused to cooperate with her requests for consular access, but said it was in contact with Durov’s lawyer. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment.