Several French government websites have been taken offline in a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack suspected of being linked to a Russian hacking group. Among the sites affected were those of the Paris Administrative Court, the French health ministry and the French Supreme Court. The attack is believed to be a response to the arrest in France of Telegram founder Pavel Durov. On August 24, Durov was detained by French authorities on charges including conspiracy with illegal activities. French President Emmanuel Macron subsequently issued a statement saying that Durov's arrest was not for political reasons and reiterated France's commitment to freedom of expression. However, the statement sparked widespread criticism from the crypto community and free speech activists, including industry leaders such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and billionaire Elon Musk calling for Durov's release. As of now, Durov has not been formally charged with a crime. French authorities can detain him until August 28 for further investigation.