The probe was opened “against an unidentified person” and did not specifically target Durov, the prosecutor said. The tech chief currently remains in policy custody.
In a statement, Telegram said that its CEO — a Russian-born French-Emirati citizen — had “nothing to hide” and that the company abided by EU law.
Prominent voices, both in the tech industry and within official Russian circles, were quick to call out Durov’s arrest.
Russian senator Alexei Pushkov called France a “liberal dictatorship” which “does not tolerate individuals who claim freedom” in a Telegram post.
“#FreePavel,” X owner Elon Musk posted on his own platform. Edward Snowden, the Russia-based American whistleblower, accused Macron of having “descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications.”
The French president wasn’t having that.