French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s detention was “in no way a political decision” and was part of an ongoing legal inquiry.
Macron stated in a post on X on Monday that France is “deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, innovation, and the spirit of entrepreneurship.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights,” Mr. Macron said.
Macron’s comments after Durov’s detention at Paris’ Le Bourget airport on Saturday. His detention led the Russian Embassy in France to state that French officials were refusing to cooperate in their attempts to reach Durov.
On Monday, French authorities, the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris, said that Durov had been detained in connection with a cybercrime probe that included suspicions of giving “cryptology” services. French prosecutors say Durov can remain in police detention until August 28.
Several major people in the cryptocurrency business have asked for additional information about the arrest or shown support for Durov. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, X, and SpaceX, responded to Macron in a post today, saying, “It would be helpful for the global public to understand more details about why he was arrested.”
Source: Timmy Shen, The Block.
