French President Macron Says He Doesn't Know The Arrival Of Telegram Boss Pavel Durov

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Wikimedia Commons/men'smen)

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was not aware of the arrival of Telegram owner Pavel Durov in France last Saturday and was not scheduled to meet him at Thursday's press conference on the sidelines of a visit to Serbia.

"I was completely unaware of Durov's arrival in France, and it was very normal because I was not aware of the arrival and departure of citizens from around the world, whether French citizenship or not," the President said.

Pavel Durov was arrested by French police after his jet landed at an airport near Paris. On Wednesday, a French judge placed one of the founders of Telegram, which has French and UAE citizenship, under an official investigation into his alleged involvement in running an online platform that allows illegal transactions, images of child sex abuse, drug trafficking and fraud.

However, the judge granted his request for guarantee by paying 5 million euros, obliged to report twice a week and not leave French territory.

On that occasion, President Macron also defended France's decision in 2021 to give French citizenship to Durov under a procedure rarely carried out for famous individuals.

"Ini adalah bagian dari strategi untuk memungkinkan perempuan dan laki-laki, baik artis, atlet, atau pengusaha, ketika mereka berusaha mempelajari bahasa Prancis dan mereka mengembangkan kekayaan, inovasi untuk diberikan citizenship Prancis," jelas Presiden Macron.

To note, being placed in a formal investigation in France does not imply guilt or having to go to court, but shows the judge considers there is sufficient evidence to continue the investigation. The investigation could last years before being sent to court or suspended.