"I informed them that Israel acted after definitively identifying a large-scale planned attack of missiles and drones by the Hezbollah terrorist organization against targets in Israel, and we delivered a preemptive strike to prevent the assault and protect Israeli citizens and territory," Katz said on X.

"Once, quite a long time ago, I asked Durov why he did not want to cooperate with law enforcement agencies on serious crimes. 'This is my principled position,' he said. 'Then there will be serious problems in any country,' I told him," Medvedev wrote.

"He miscalculated. He is Russian, all our common enemies are unpredictable and dangerous of a different blood. Definitely not Musk or Zuckerberg (who, by the way, is actively cooperating with the FBI). Durov must finally understand that the Fatherland, like the times, is not chosen…" Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman concluded.

"What they want to do is not kill Telegram like they wanted to kill WikiLeaks. They want to control it. And the problem was they didn't have the ability to put sufficient pressure on Pavel to break his will as he was living in Dubai, but now, they have leverage. And I believe that's the purpose of this prosecution," Mike Benz, a former Trump State Department official said.

“Instagram has a massive child exploitation problem, but no arrest for Zuck as he censors free speech and gives governments backdoor access to user data,” stressed Elon Musk. 

"There is actually an oppression of journalists and freedom of speech in the West and especially in the EU," Angelo Giuliano, a Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst, told Sputnik, commenting on Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's detainment in France.

"I wouldn't be surprised that they would try to get their hands on Telegram, to strike a deal with Telegram saying, well, we release you, you give us a price and maybe we can buy you," Giuliano said.

"Hezbollah's attacks in response to the assassination of one of their commanders, Fuad Shukr, did not achieve their goals, but they caused minor damage in some civilian areas," Adraee said.

“Western law enforcement officials say the offshore system is the way drug traffickers, fraudsters, big-time tax cheats and other criminals move their money. It makes their operations possible. It’s how the US moved money in the corrupt Iran-Contra deal. It’s how the CIA moves cash,” she elaborated.

“The UK’s Jersey, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, the Caymans, British Virgin Islands and other venues, the US states of Delaware and Wyoming, as well as European countries Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland, not Telegram, are the real criminal platforms of the world.”

“The broader implications are an attempt to tighten control of the platforms of the Internet that allow views that challenge the collective West. The European Union is already doing this against X/Twitter, demanding censorship,” she mused. “Durov might give in to a backdoor or censorship to get his freedom. That depends on how draconian the French (and their American sponsors) will be. And it certainly concentrates the minds of other non-compliant internet executives.”

“There is WhatsApp and there is Telegram. Lately, Telegram has been beating WhatsApp. So this is a normal reaction from [WhatsApp’s] American owners to stamp out a competitor using political motivation, only via France,” he elaborated during an interview with Sputnik. “And as for France, as [Edward] Snowden said, shame on France.”

"I don't believe it will happen, as there are attorneys present who will vigorously contest their efforts for an extended period," he said, referring to the odds of French prosecutors securing a conviction against Durov.

"The French justice system has deliberately twisted the spirit of the law to formulate excessive charges against Durov. It is clear that this is a pretext," Jacques Sapir, director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, told Sputnik.

"His case is similar to all the measures that are currently being taken in Western countries that are infringing on freedom of expression," he said.

"This is one more step, after the long prosecutions against Julian Assange and those against Snowden, in a long list of attacks on freedom of expression in Western countries," Sapir said.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the statement published on the official Telegram channel said.

“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all,” the statement concluded.