Last Saturday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France. In response, French President Emmanuel Macron has assured that his arrest was not politically motivated. As Macron points out, Durov's arrest is part of an ongoing judicial investigation and that the decision to arrest him was taken by the French judicial system completely independently.
The French president's statement was shared on social media X (formerly Twitter) and in it, Macron expressed his rejection of all the speculation surrounding wordpress web design agency the incident, stating that France remains committed to freedom of expression, innovation and entrepreneurship. He also stressed that "in a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are defended within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights. It is up to the judiciary, with full independence, to enforce the law."
The European Commission has also kept its distance from the situation, echoing Macron's comments and clarifying that this is a criminal investigation unrelated to the EU Digital Services Act . Commission spokesperson Thomar Regnier has explained that Telegram, with fewer than 45 million monthly users, is not required to comply with the strict rules of the law, but that the platform must still comply with the general obligations of the law, which applies to all internet platforms, from social networks to online marketplaces.
The Kremlin , for its part, denied that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with Durov, as some media outlets had reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Perkov said he would not comment on the case until he knew the details of the accusations against the Telegram CEO.
In Russia, Durov's arrest sparked outrage, with some politicians interpreting the detention as an attempt by the West to put pressure on the Russian businessman.