On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron denied reports that he had invited Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, to France.
Durov was detained upon arriving in Paris but was later released on probation.
While Macron was in Belgrade for official meetings, he refuted claims from the French newspaper Le Canard Enchainé that he had extended an invitation to Durov to visit the Elysee Palace. The newspaper had reported that Durov was detained immediately upon landing in Paris as part of this purported invitation.
Macron stated that he had “absolutely no idea” about Durov’s visit and emphasized that suggesting he had invited Durov to dinner at the presidential residence was “wrong.”
The French president defended his decision to grant Durov French citizenship in 2021, describing it as part of a broader strategy to offer citizenship to influential international figures who “learn the French language” and positively contribute to France. He cited similar decisions to grant citizenship to individuals such as American entrepreneur Evan Spiegel, athletes, and artists.
Durov’s Detention and Release
Pavel Durov, a dual French-Russian national, was detained on the evening of August 24 upon his arrival from Azerbaijan at Bourget Airport in Paris. He was listed as a wanted person in France, leading to his arrest.
French media reported that Durov was held for a preliminary investigation by the French National Judicial Police, which had issued a search warrant. The investigation focused on Telegram’s moderation practices, which authorities believed allowed criminal activities to persist on the platform.
On August 28, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that Durov, facing 12 charges including illegal transactions, child sexual abuse, fraud, and refusal to cooperate with authorities, was released on €5 million bail after a 96-hour detention. He remains under judicial control and is prohibited from leaving France while awaiting trial.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that Durov’s detention was part of the “X” investigation, initiated on July 8 by Anti-Organized Crime officers, which led to the charges against him.
