San Francisco, Aug 25 (IANS): US NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Sunday backed Telegram Founder Pavel Durov, saying his arrest is “an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association”.

In a post on X social media platform, Snowden who was granted Russian citizenship last year, said that the moved has lowered not only France but the world.

“The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that (French President Emmanuel) Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world,” posted the US Snowden.

Durov was detained after his private jet landed at Le Bourget Airport in France, according to local media. The 39-year-old billionaire was arrested under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app.

He founded Telegram in 2013 and he left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform.

The billionaire lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based, and holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As of August 25, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, In 2022, he was recognised by Forbes magazine as the richest expat in the UAE.

He was expected to appear in court on Sunday. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Telegram did not immediately respond to the development. Russia's embassy in France is taking "immediate steps" to clarify the situation.

Telegram offers end-to-end encrypted messaging and users can also set up "channels" to disseminate information quickly to followers.