PARIS (AP) 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn鈥檛 a political move but part of an independent investigation.
In France鈥檚 first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on the social media platform X that his country 鈥渋s deeply committed鈥� to freedom of expression but 鈥渇reedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.鈥�
He said the arrest 鈥渋s in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.鈥�
French media reported that Durov was detained at a Paris airport on Saturday on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses.
The Associated Press
