An American businessman and entrepreneur, Elon Musk, appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to shed more light on the reasons behind the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov. He shared his thoughts on the X social platform, urging transparency from the authorities.
Musk argued that it would benefit the global community to understand the specifics of why Durov was arrested, offering his perspective in response to Macron’s remarks about the detention. The appeal underscored a desire for clarity on the case and the circumstances surrounding the action taken by law enforcement.
Macron emphasized that the security forces decided to detain Pavel Durov for reasons that were not political in nature. The president framed the move as a procedural matter tied to the evolving investigations rather than a statement about ideological motives.
Durov was detained after disembarking a private jet at Le Bourget Airport in France on the evening of August 24. The founder had arrived in the country from Azerbaijan, prompting questions about the context and the legal basis of the action taken by authorities.
French police indicated that the businessman faced accusations related to noncooperation with investigations into cyber and financial crimes connected to Telegram. Reuters noted that Durov appeared to be under scrutiny by the national cybercrime and fraud divisions, highlighting ongoing inquiries into his activities and potential connections to these offenses.
Earlier reporting from various sources suggested that inquiries into Durov drew attention to possible actions or statements by U.S. intelligence services, an angle that drew interest from observers and commentators. The discourse around the case reflected broader debates about cross-border regulatory enforcement and the monitoring of digital platforms.