Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an ongoing judicial investigation, and there was no political motive, French President Macron said on Monday, Reuters reports.
Macron's statement on X amounted to the first official confirmation of Durov's arrest, nearly two days since he was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet from Azerbaijan.
"The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation," Macron wrote. "This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide."
Reuters was unable to speak to any lawyer representing him.
Durov's arrest prompted criticism from X owner Elon Musk who said that free speech in Europe was under attack, and calls from Moscow for French authorities to accord Durov his rights.
