However, President Macron insisted that he had no prior knowledge of Durov's flight to Paris and that no invitation had been sent to the billionaire. He stressed that Durov's arrest was an independent act of the French judiciary.

Pavel Durov, the Russian billionaire and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was arrested at a Paris airport over the weekend. He is facing charges related to failing to moderate illegal content on his platform. The incident has sparked controversy and mixed reactions from those involved.

Durov was arrested over Telegram’s alleged role in facilitating cybercrime and failing to moderate content. Durov was released on conditional bail on Wednesday of €5 million and is banned from leaving France and must report to police twice a week while the investigation continues.

Durov's lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, said the accusations of Durov's involvement in crimes on the app were "absurd" and insisted that Telegram fully complied with European digital technology regulations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned France not to turn the case into “political repression.” He also stressed that Durov is a “Russian citizen” and that Russia will closely monitor developments.

Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Telegram is based. A UAE government official said the country “prioritizes the interests of its citizens” and is in contact with French authorities about the case.

Cao Phong (according to DW, CNN, Reuters)