Telegram described the allegations as 'absurd' while Russian officials labelled Mr Durov's arrest as politically motivated.
Pavel Durov, the chief executive of Telegram, is due in court later to face possible charges linked to alleged criminal activity on the platform. The billionaire founder of the encrypted messaging and social media app was arrested in France on Saturday after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport outside Paris.
It has also prompted controversial influencer Andrew Tate to compare himself to Telegram's CEO as he fights allegations of human trafficking in Romania, among other offences, which he denies. But French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that Mr Durov's arrest was not political, and posted on X that his country 'is deeply committed' to freedom of expression.
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