Russia raps France for violating freedom of speech following detention of Telegram CEO

France has once again breached international norms regarding freedom of speech with the detention of Pavel Durov, the co-founder of the Telegram messaging app, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova highlighted this incident as evidence of the French leadership's disregard for international standards, Caliber.Az reports, citing TASS.

"This situation has clearly exposed the true stance of the French authorities, who have blatantly trampled on international norms in the protection of freedom of speech and expression," she added.

She further emphasized that if a country claims to uphold certain standards, it must not only meet them but also actively protect and fulfill them.