Macron claims he did not know about Durov's arrival in France
French President Emmanuel Macron (photo: Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron was unaware of Telegram founder Pavel Durov's visit to the country and had no plans to meet with him, reports Reuters.
"I was absolutely unaware of Mr Durov's arrival in France, and that is quite normal because I'm not aware of the comings and goings of citizens from all over the world, whether they have French citizenship or not," Macron said at a press conference on Thursday during a two-day visit to Serbia.
He also endorsed France's 2021 decision to grant Durov French citizenship through a rare procedure for high-profile individuals.
"It's part of a strategy to allow women and men, whether artists, athletes or entrepreneurs, when they make the effort to learn the French language and that they develop wealth, innovation ... to be given French nationality," the president added.
Durov's detention in France
On the evening of August 24, Pavel Durov, co-founder of the Russian messaging app Telegram, was detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. In France, he faces charges related to money laundering, terrorism, and fraud through the messaging app.
President Macron stated that Durov's detention has no political implications and is part of a judicial investigation.
On the evening of August 28, Durov was released from custody but charged and placed under judicial supervision.
The European Union is also investigating potential violations of EU digital regulations by Telegram.
For more details on who Pavel Durov is and the charges against him in France, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
