According to French prosecutors, twelve charges have been brought against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

The French leadership is hitting back at claims that its arrest of the top manager of the messaging app Telegram at the weekend was politically motivated.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on August 26 that the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Saturday was the result of an independent investigation and was not politically motivated.

Macron published France’s first official statement on social media platform X, saying that France is “deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but that these freedoms are safeguarded both on social media and in real life within a legal framework to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.

Macron also dismissed allegations of a political motive as false, adding that the arrest was “in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide on this matter.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office also issued its first statement on the arrest on Monday, saying that Durov had been taken into custody following an investigation opened in July into a dozen different alleged crimes.

Prosecutors said Durov was charged with, among other things, aiding and abetting the sale of child pornography and illegal drugs, fraud, aiding and abetting organized crime transactions and refusing to provide information or documents to investigators despite being legally required to do so.

Durov’s pre-trial detention was extended from Sunday to Monday and may be extended until Wednesday evening before authorities must either release him or press charges.

In a statement, Telegram said it complies with European Union laws and that its moderation “meets industry standards and is constantly improving.”

“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently throughout Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of that platform,” the company said.

Some Western governments have criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation, saying that this could lead to the messaging platform being misused for money laundering, drug trafficking and the distribution of material related to the sexual exploitation of minors.

In 2022, Germany imposed $5 million in fines on Telegram’s operators for failing to create a legal way to report illegal content or designate an entity in Germany that could receive official notices, both of which are required under German laws regulating major online platforms. Similarly, Brazil temporarily blocked Telegram last year for failing to release data on suspected neo-Nazi activity in connection with a police investigation into school shootings.

The Russian authorities also tried unsuccessfully to block Telegram and lifted the ban in 2020.

Durov is a French citizen and also holds citizenship of Russia, the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Durov founded Telegram together with his brother after his previous company, which also offered a messaging service, was condemned by Russian authorities.

That app, called VKontakte, was launched in 2006, but Durov sold his stake in the company after the Russian government demanded the release of personal information of users who participated in a popular uprising in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 that led to the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Russia used the events as justification for the subsequent annexation of Crimea and its support for Russian-speaking separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Durov had previously stated that he had rejected the Russian government’s demands and left Russia.

Since then, Telegram has become a popular source of information in Ukraine and Russia, where it is used by media and governments alike to spread news about the ongoing war and provide live alerts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From The Epoch Times