French President Emmanuel Macron Denies Political Nature Of Pavel Durov Arrest

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Julia Smith

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Julia is an experienced editor with a passion for covering a wide variety of beats. She loves all things politics and regularly covers regulatory updates on emerging technology here for Crypto News.

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August 27, 2024

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French President Emmanuel Macron is setting the record straight on rumors the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov was political in nature, a Monday X post from the star politician reveals.

Emmanuel Macron Talks Telegram Founder’s Arrest

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

The messaging app founder was arrested in Paris this past weekend on suspicions that Telegram was being used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking, child pornography, and terrorism.

Critics of Durov’s detainment argue that France has crossed a line by violating free speech and anti-censorship tenets, an area of particular concern across the blockchain sector.

Macron’s statement could be seen as a way to distance himself from the controversial judicial decision.

“France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship,” the French leader added. “It will remain so.”

Pavel Durov Held By Authorities Through Wednesday

Following news of Durov’s arrest, the popular messaging app issued its first formal statement.

“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and frequently travels to Europe,” the company said in an August 25 statement. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse on that platform.”

Global figures, including X CEO Elon Musk and former U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr., have voiced their support for Durov’s endeavor.

“France just arrested Pavel Durov, founder & CEO of the encrypted, uncensored Telegram platform,” Kennedy posted to X. “The need to protect free speech has never been more urgent.”

However, not everyone in the Web3 world and beyond was displeased with Durov’s detainment.

“The CEO of @telegram was arrested today in France for failing to moderate his platform,” legendary Star Trek actor William Shatner wrote. “Good. They do nothing to prevent fraud & scams. I’m tired of the scammers who use that platform to pretend they are me.”

Founded by Durov and his brother Nikolai in 2013, Telegram has climbed to an impressive valuation exceeding $30 billion. However, reports suggest the Russian-born tech tycoon has recently resisted cooperating with authorities investigating the messaging app’s legality.

Durov may be held through Wednesday, August 28, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau.