08/26/2024

Telegram CEO Arrested over Probe into Child Porn, Drug Trafficking on App

France's President Macron confirms arrest, denies political motive

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, making the first official confirmation of Durov's arrest since he was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, said there was no political motive in the arrest, despite many false comments online. He added that France remains deeply committed to lawful free speech.

"The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation," Macron wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide."

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