French President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear he did not invite Pavel Durov to France. Apparently, the founder of Telegram showed up unexpectedly, causing a stir in Paris.
“I wasn’t aware of his arrival,” Macron said. The situation gets even weirder when you consider the French government’s decision earlier this year to grant Pavel fast-track citizenship.
Macron defended this move as being in France’s interests but was adamant he had nothing to do with Pavel’s recent surprise visit. Pavel’s appearance and his arrest at Le Bourget Airport were sudden.
The Telegram CEO landed in France on August 24, flying in on a private jet from Azerbaijan. His arrival at Le Bourget Airport didn’t go unnoticed for long. French authorities quickly detained him, sparking questions about why he came and what he was planning.
Pavel’s detention is linked to an ongoing investigation. He faces serious charges, including accusations of being involved in drug trafficking and distributing child pornography through his messaging platform.
The arrest has led to speculations about potential political implications. Given the nature of the charges against Pavel and the timing of his arrest right after his arrival, some believe there might be more going on than meets the eye.
There’s also a hint that France might not be acting alone here. Rumor has it that the French might have consulted with the United States before making any moves.
Pavel’s high profile and the international implications of his arrest suggest there could be more at play. The French government might have wanted to avoid making a unilateral decision.
Meanwhile, the arrest has shaken up Toncoin (TON), the crypto tied to the Telegram ecosystem. The price of TON took a hard hit, plunging 16-17% right after the news broke, falling from about $6.80 to $5.38.
This was a big drop, especially since TON had seen a massive 450% gain over the last year. Traders jumped on the news, pushing open interest on TON futures contracts up by 32% to $303.09 million.
The TON community isn’t backing down, though. They put out a statement showing they’re still in the fight and started the #DigitalResistance #FREEDUROV campaign to stand up for privacy and free speech. So have influential figures Vitalik Buterin, Mark Cuban, and Elon Musk.
