Macron Comments on the Arrest of Durov
The French president has refuted claims of inviting the Telegram founder for dinner, asserting that an independent judiciary was responsible for his arrest. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
French President Emmanuel Macron has explicitly refuted having prior knowledge of Pavel Durov's entry into France or any involvement in the Russian tech mogul's subsequent detention.
Upon his apprehension at Paris's Le Bourget airport, after arriving from Azerbaijan, Durov, the CEO of Telegram, informed the authorities that his trip was meant for a dinner engagement with Macron, as reported by the French publication Le Canard Enchaine.
"I was absolutely not aware of Mr. Durov’s arrival in France – and this is normal, because I am not supposed to know about the comings and goings of everyone with French nationality,” Macron stated during a press conference in Belgrade.
“It is false that I had made any invitation, it is totally false,” he further clarified. “I was not supposed to see Durov either last weekend or thereafter.”
While visiting Serbia for two days, Macron emphasized that France upholds the freedom of speech and supports entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.
“But we’re also a country where there is a separation of powers and judges make decisions independently. And this is a good thing,” he remarked.
Durov faced a judicial review and was charged with several offenses including non-cooperation with the authorities and managing an online platform purportedly utilized by criminals for illicit activities like trafficking and child sexual abuse. He was incarcerated for several days but was subsequently released on a €5 million bail and is currently not permitted to leave France.
“It’s totally absurd to think that the head of a social network could be involved in criminal acts that do not concern him, either directly or indirectly,” his attorney, David-Olivier Kaminski, argued to the AFP.
Amidst this controversy, Durov, a citizen of France as well as the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, has experienced support attempts from Moscow and Abu Dhabi, which France has denied due to his French nationality.
Telegram, founded by Pavel and his brother Nikolay Durov over ten years ago, is a secure messaging service with nearly a billion users globally, preferred notably in Russia and Ukraine.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Upon his apprehension at Paris's Le Bourget airport, after arriving from Azerbaijan, Durov, the CEO of Telegram, informed the authorities that his trip was meant for a dinner engagement with Macron, as reported by the French publication Le Canard Enchaine.
"I was absolutely not aware of Mr. Durov’s arrival in France – and this is normal, because I am not supposed to know about the comings and goings of everyone with French nationality,” Macron stated during a press conference in Belgrade.
“It is false that I had made any invitation, it is totally false,” he further clarified. “I was not supposed to see Durov either last weekend or thereafter.”
While visiting Serbia for two days, Macron emphasized that France upholds the freedom of speech and supports entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.
“But we’re also a country where there is a separation of powers and judges make decisions independently. And this is a good thing,” he remarked.
Durov faced a judicial review and was charged with several offenses including non-cooperation with the authorities and managing an online platform purportedly utilized by criminals for illicit activities like trafficking and child sexual abuse. He was incarcerated for several days but was subsequently released on a €5 million bail and is currently not permitted to leave France.
“It’s totally absurd to think that the head of a social network could be involved in criminal acts that do not concern him, either directly or indirectly,” his attorney, David-Olivier Kaminski, argued to the AFP.
Amidst this controversy, Durov, a citizen of France as well as the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, has experienced support attempts from Moscow and Abu Dhabi, which France has denied due to his French nationality.
Telegram, founded by Pavel and his brother Nikolay Durov over ten years ago, is a secure messaging service with nearly a billion users globally, preferred notably in Russia and Ukraine.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
