Deniz 
According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was “in no way a political decision” and a result of a continuous court inquiry.
On Monday, Macron penned on X that France is “deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld inside a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights, Macron said.”
Macron’s comments after Durov’s Saturday detention at Paris’s Le Bourget airport. His detention swiftly led the Russian Embassy in France to publish a statement claiming the French government was not allowing their attempts at Durov access.
In a statement today, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry also claimed to be “closely following” the matter. The communications director of the ministry said, “UAE has asked the Government of the French Republic to immediately provide him all the required consular services.”
On Monday, French authorities—the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris—said Durov was taken under custody for a cybercrime probe, including claims of providing “cryptology” services. The French prosecutors claim Durov can be kept under police custody until August 28.
Many public figures in the crypto space have asked for further specifics regarding the arrest or shown support for Durov. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, X, and SpaceX, responded to Macron in a post today, saying, “It would be helpful for the global public to understand more details about why he was arrested.”
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