French President Emmanuel Macron had a personal reason to want Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested, as he feared that certain information might become public, since he and his team had used the messenger for years, French politician and leader of the “Patriots” party, Florian Philippo, told APNews.
“I think Macron had a personal interest in this arrest, as he must be afraid of what’s in Telegram. Macron and his team have been using this messenger for years. He thought he had all the power in his hands, but that’s no longer the case. He’s afraid that something will become public,” Philippo said.
In his opinion, Durov faces danger in France and should leave the country. “Many people are annoyed by the freedom of speech on his social network. Today, we’re witnessing a real war declared by Macron and other European governments against freedom of speech – against Elon Musk, against Rumble.
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They want to control everything. All this suggests that the censors are back. They’re probably worried about the outcome of the US elections and don’t want Trump to win, so they want to block everything before that,” the politician believes.
Philippo recalled that Rumble video hosting founder Chris Pavlovski left the EU in a hurry after Durov’s arrest.
“Durov’s arrest creates a terrifying image of France – a country of tyranny and censorship, despite having the word ‘freedom’ in our national motto. But now we’re hostages of globalists who hate freedom,” he concluded.
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Durov was detained at Paris-Le Bourget airport on August 24. The businessman’s arrest has sparked widespread public criticism in many countries. In France, Durov is suspected of ten offenses and crimes, including participating in the administration of an online platform for illegal transactions by an organized group, and faces up to 10 years in prison. No official charges have been filed yet.
On Wednesday evening, Durov was released on bail, which he is expected to pay soon (€5 million). He is prohibited from leaving French territory and must report to the police twice a week.
