French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for granting fast-track citizenship to the accused CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov. During a press conference in Serbia, Macron stated that it is “good for our country” to offer nationality to prominent individuals who learn French and contribute to the nation. “This is part of a strategy to allow men and women, whether they are artists, athletes, or entrepreneurs, to receive French nationality when they make an effort to learn the French language and foster prosperity and innovation,” said Macron.
Macron denied having any prior knowledge of Durov’s journey to France before his arrest. This followed major coverage by the French newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, which reported that Durov had informed the police of his intention to meet with the French leader. “I was completely unaware of Mr. Durov’s arrival in France,” Macron stated, describing Durov’s arrest as “an independent action of French justice.” He added, “It is false that I offered him any form of invitation.”
French prosecutors have accused Durov of “aiding and abetting” criminal activity on the messaging app Telegram, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse material. They also allege that the Russia-born billionaire has refused to share documents requested by law enforcement agencies in their investigations.
Durov’s lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, has described these accusations as “totally absurd,” arguing that it is unreasonable to implicate the owner of a social network in crimes that are “not related to him, either directly or indirectly.”
Durov’s arrest has reignited longstanding debates about freedom of speech, privacy, and police efforts to combat harm in the online world. Prominent tech founders and advocates for internet freedom, including Elon Musk, Edward Snowden, and ProtonMail founder Andy Yen, have criticized the French authorities in this matter, viewing it as a threat to freedom of expression.
Russia has also expressed concern, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warning French authorities against treating Durov’s case as a “political persecution.”