Zakharova: France is undermining freedom of expression with Durov’s arrest

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that French authorities' comments on the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov undermined previously held values ​​such as freedom of expression.

“Official Paris is demonstrating not neglect, but the destruction of previously declared values, including freedom of speech,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram, commenting on Durov’s case.

The spokeswoman referred in particular to a statement made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

“Before his statement, the French Foreign Ministry justified its refusal to comment on the situation surrounding the Telegram founder with 'respect for the French judiciary.' Does this mean that Macron has no respect for the French judiciary?” Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

Read more: Russia denounces EU violation of freedom of expression and media

Pavel Durov, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening. Durov, who arrived on his private jet from Azerbaijan, was arrested at around 8 p.m. local time on an outstanding arrest warrant in France.

According to French media, this is part of preliminary police investigations.

The 39-year-old Russian-born entrepreneur lives in Dubai and has dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates.

In response to criticism that the arrest represented an attack on freedom of expression and privacy, Macron stated that Durov's arrest was merely a judicial and not a political decision.

The Russian Embassy in France reported that the French authorities refused to provide any explanations when the embassy asked for clarification regarding Durov's detention.

Read more: Why Macron refrained from sending troops to Ukraine: Analysis

Telegram, which Durov founded with his brother Nikolai in 2013, now has over 900 million active users and is known for its end-to-end encrypted messages and “channels” for quickly spreading information.

When the war in Ukraine began in 2022, the European Union banned Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik, confirmed EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accusing the two of “spreading harmful disinformation.”