Emmanuel Macron has hit back at accusations that the arrest of Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov in France is politically motivated, after the surprise move raised tensions with Moscow and escalated a global debate over free speech.
French prosecutors on Monday said they detained the Russian-born billionaire, who is now a French-Emirati citizen, as part of an investigation opened in July into the messaging app’s moderation of alleged criminal activity on the platform. This includes the spread of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
The French president also intervened on Monday after some Russian lawmakers claimed the arrest was made on political grounds, while the Russian embassy in France has said it had requested consular access to Durov.