Macron Says Telegram CEO Arrest Isn’t ‘Political Decision’

(Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was “in no way a political decision” and that it would be up to judges to decide on the case.

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“It’s the judicial system that will independently enforce the law,” Macron said in a post on X.

Durov has been detained by French authorities since Saturday over claims that the messaging service he co-founded failed to properly fight crime on the app, including the spread of child sexual abuse material.

Before his detention lapses on Wednesday evening, the magistrate must decide whether to press charges, release him without charges or name him as a witness in the investigation and let him go free.

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