French President Emmanuel Macron has denied inviting Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov to France, contradicting claims that Durov was invited for a dinner at the Elysee Palace. Durov was detained upon arrival in France and subsequently released under judicial supervision. Macron, during a press conference in Belgrade, Serbia, stated that he was not aware of Durov’s planned visit to France and therefore could not have invited him for dinner. He defended the decision to grant Durov French citizenship in 2021, explaining that it was part of a strategy to attract international figures who are fluent in French and have global influence. Durov was arrested on August 24th at Paris’ Bourget Airport upon landing from a private jet. He was released on August 28th after being held for 96 hours, subject to a €5 million bail and judicial supervision. French authorities are investigating Durov on 12 charges, including illegal activities, child sexual abuse, fraud, and refusing to provide information to authorities. The investigation was initiated on July 8th following a preliminary inquiry by Organized Crime units.
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