President Emmanuel Macron on Monday dismissed any political involvement in the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who remained in French custody for a second day following his unexpected detention at a Paris airport.
Questions have arisen regarding the timing and circumstances of Durov’s detention, which, according to a source familiar with the case, has been extended until Wednesday.
The 39-year-old billionaire is accused of failing to prevent the spread of illegal content on Telegram, a platform with over 900 million users. Telegram has denied these allegations.
Durov, who was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) during the Soviet era to a family of academics, spent his early years in Italy before founding Russia’s largest social network, VKontakte (VK), in his twenties. He later created Telegram after leaving Russia a decade ago. Forbes magazine estimates his net worth at $15.5 billion.
Addressing what he called “false information” about the case, Macron posted on X, stating that Durov’s arrest was “part of an ongoing judicial investigation” and “in no way a political decision.” He emphasized that the matter is for the judges to decide, marking a rare comment from him on an active legal case.
Durov holds both French and Russian citizenship.
Late Monday, French authorities extended his initial detention for questioning until Wednesday, according to a source close to the investigation.
At the end of the initial 96-hour questioning period, the investigating magistrate can either release Durov or file charges and detain him further.
Durov, who has been residing in Dubai in recent years, had arrived in Paris from Baku, Azerbaijan, and was planning to have dinner in the French capital, according to a source. He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a personal assistant, who regularly travel with him.
A key question is why Durov entered France when he likely knew he was wanted there. “Perhaps he felt untouchable,” speculated one source close to the case.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Baku on a state visit on August 18 and 19, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any meeting between Putin and Durov.
Durov is accused of failing to prevent criminal activities on his platform. France’s OFMIN, an office dedicated to preventing violence against minors, issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged offenses, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promoting terrorism, another source said.
In response, Telegram stated that “Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.” The company added, “Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and its moderation is consistent with industry standards.” The platform dismissed the idea that it or its owner should be held responsible for misuse of the service.
Telegram has positioned itself as a “neutral” alternative to US-based platforms, which are often criticized for exploiting users’ personal data for commercial purposes. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Telegram has become a crucial tool for politicians and commentators on both sides of the conflict.
However, critics claim the platform hosts illegal content, ranging from extreme sexual material to disinformation and drug services.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov stated that Moscow had not received any information from France regarding Durov’s detention and added, “we do not know concretely what Durov is accused of.”
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), expressed his support for Durov by posting the hashtag #FreePavel on his platform and writing in French, “Liberté, Liberté! Liberté?” (Freedom, Freedom! Freedom?).
Macron emphasized that while France is “deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication,” these freedoms are maintained “within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life.” He reiterated that it is up to the judiciary, acting independently, to enforce the law.