Paris, August 30- French President Emmanuel Macron has defended the decision to grant French citizenship to Pavel Durov, the CEO of the messaging platform Telegram, following Durov's arrest in France. Durov, originally a Russian citizen, was arrested at an airport in France last Saturday under allegations related to cybercrime and the spread of criminal content through Telegram.

Responding to reporters on Thursday, Macron stated, "There was no mistake in granting French citizenship to Pavel Durov. Citizenship is given to those who can acquire the French language and make a special contribution to the world of work. The same applies to Pavel. I do not agree with those questioning this decision."

According to Deutsche Welle, Durov was arrested on charges that Telegram has failed to manage content responsibly, allowing the circulation of insecure and criminal messages on the platform. Despite Durov's claim that he was in France to meet with President Macron, the French president clarified that no such invitation was extended by his office. Macron emphasized that Durov's arrest was an independent decision made by France's legal authorities.

In response to the arrest, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Durov as a victim of a conspiracy and issued a warning to France, stating that Russia will not tolerate the arrest of Durov on what it perceives as political grounds. The situation remains tense, as both France and Russia navigate the diplomatic implications of this high-profile arrest.