• Macron dismissed as false reports circulating online claiming that his arrest on French soil was politically instigated.
• The Telegram boss was arrested on Saturday. Durov was detained after his private jet had landed at Le Bourget Airport in France.
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French President Emmanuel Macron now says that the arrest of messaging platform Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov is not in any way political.
In a statement, Macron said that it is part of judicial investigation and only judges can make a decision on the matter.
"The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter," he said.
Macron dismissed as false reports circulating online claiming that his arrest on French soil was politically instigated.
Earlier reports said that Durov was arrested under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app.
The investigation is reportedly about a lack of moderators, with Mr Durov accused of failing to take steps to curb criminal uses of Telegram.
"France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.
"In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights. It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law," Macron added.
The Telegram boss was arrested on Saturday.
Durov was detained after his private jet had landed at Le Bourget Airport in France.
Telegram later said its CEO has "nothing to hide".
The messaging app insisted that its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform," Telegram said in a statement.
Pavel Durov, 39, was born in Russia and now lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based. He holds citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.
Telegram is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet Union states.
The app was banned in Russia in 2018, after a previous refusal by him to hand over user data. The ban was reversed in 2021.