Multiple French government websites went offline due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which is believed to be related to a Russian hacker group. Affected sites include the Paris Administrative Court, the French health department, and the Supreme Court of France. The attack is considered a response to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France. Durov was detained by French authorities on charges suspected of conspiracy with illegal activities on August 24th. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Durov's arrest was not politically motivated and reaffirmed France's commitment to freedom of speech. However, this statement has sparked widespread criticism from the crypto community and free speech advocates, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and industry leader billionaire Elon Musk, calling for Durov's release. As of now, Durov has not been formally charged with any crime, and French authorities can detain him until August 28th for further investigation.