Paris — French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the arrest in France of Pavel Durov, CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was not a political move but part of an independent investigation.
French media reported that Durov, a citizen of Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, was detained at Paris airport on Saturday on an arrest warrant issued for him on allegations that his platform was used to commit crimes including money laundering and drug trafficking.
In France's first official comments on the arrests, President Macron posted on social media platform X that his country was “deeply committed” to freedom of expression but that “freedoms will be maintained within legal frameworks to protect our citizens and respect their fundamental rights, both on social media and in real life.”
He said the arrest was “in no way a political decision. It is the judge who will decide this case,” and denounced the information as false.
Russian government officials have been outraged by Durov's detention, some of which have called it politically motivated and evidence of Western double standards on freedom of speech. The protests have raised eyebrows among critics of the Kremlin. Russian authorities themselves tried and failed to block Telegram in 2018, then lifted the ban in 2020.
Telegram, which claims to have nearly one billion users worldwide, was founded by Durov and his brother after facing pressure from Russian authorities.
In 2013, he sold his shares in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site that he launched in 2006.
The company had come under pressure as the Russian government cracked down on mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow in late 2011 and 2012.
Durov said authorities had demanded the site remove online communities of Russian oppositionists and then asked it to hand over the personal data of users who took part in the 2013 Ukrainian uprising that ultimately ousted the pro-Kremlin president.
Durov said in a recent interview that he rejected those demands and left the country.
The protests prompted Russian authorities to crack down on the digital space, making Telegram and its privacy-focused discourse a useful way for Russians to communicate and share news.
Telegram remains a popular news source in Ukraine, with media and government officials using it to share information about the war and distribute missile and air raid warnings.
In a statement posted on its platform after the arrests, Telegram said it complied with EU law and that its moderation was “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for the misuse of its platform,” Telegram's post read. “Nearly one billion users around the world use Telegram as a means of communication and an important source of information. We await a swift resolution to this situation. Telegram stands with you.”
A French investigating judge extended Durov's detention order on Sunday night, French media reported on Monday. Under French law, Durov can be held for questioning for up to four days, after which the judge must decide whether to charge him or release him.
The Russian Embassy in Paris said its consulate staff were denied access to Durov because French authorities consider his primary nationality to be French. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday: “We don't yet know what specific charges Durov is being accused of. Let's wait until the charges are announced – if they are announced at all.”
X's billionaire owner, Elon Musk, who has described himself as a “free speech absolutist” in the past, supported Durov after his arrest, posting “#freePavel.”
Western governments have frequently criticised Telegram for its lack of content moderation, and experts say the messaging platform could be used to share material related to money laundering, drug trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors.
In 2022, Germany fined Telegram's operators $5 million for failing to establish legal channels for reporting illegal content or designate an organization in Germany to receive official correspondence, both of which are required by German law regulating large online platforms.
Brazil temporarily suspended Telegram last year for failing to provide data on neo-Nazi activity related to a police investigation into a November school shooting.
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With contributions from Barbara Surk in Nice, France and Daria Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia.