French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of Pavel Durov, CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, wasn't a political move but part of an independent investigation.
In France's first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on X that his country "is deeply committed" to freedom of expression but "freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights."
Macron said the arrest "is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter."
French media reported that Durov was detained at a Paris airport on Saturday on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses.