In a stunning turn of events that has rattled the global tech industry, Europe turned out to be a perilous place for tech executives after the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France, prominent tech figures said.

The arrest, which has sparked outrage and concern over the future of free speech, sent shockwaves through the digital world and raised serious questions about the safety and freedom of tech CEOs operating in Europe, Anadolu reported. 

In the wake of Durov's arrest, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski announced Sunday on X that he had "safely departed" Europe, citing concerns over similar threats to his platform.

Pavlovski also vowed to fight for freedom of expression, stating: "Rumble will not stand for this behavior and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right.”

"France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov reportedly for not censoring speech," he added.

Also, Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence officer and whistleblower, took to X to express his dismay, stating: "The arrest of Pavel Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that (French President)

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."