Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire who founded Telegram, was arrested on Saturday at Le Bourget airport near Paris shortly after landing on his private jet, according to three sources who spoke to Reuters.
Durov, 39, was taken into custody as part of a preliminary police investigation in France. The arrest has led to strong reactions, with Moscow urging Paris to ensure Durov’s rights are respected, and Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the move, saying it’s an attack on free speech in Europe.
While French authorities have not officially confirmed the arrest, two French police sources and one Russian source, all speaking anonymously, said Durov was detained after arriving from Azerbaijan. One French police source noted that officers had identified Durov on the flight’s passenger list and moved to arrest him due to an outstanding warrant in France.
In response to the arrest, Telegram issued a statement saying, “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.” The company added, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
Durov, who holds both French and UAE citizenship, was reportedly arrested because of concerns that Telegram’s lack of moderators and cooperation with police might be enabling criminal activity. Telegram insists that it complies with regulations and protects user privacy and freedom of speech.
Durov created Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, while under pressure in Russia. His brother, Nikolai, developed the app’s encryption. “I would rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov said in April, reflecting on his decision to leave Russia and find a new home for his company, which has had offices in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has become a key platform for sharing unfiltered content about the war, used by both Ukrainian and Russian officials. This has led to the app being dubbed a “virtual battlefield” by some analysts.
In response to Durov’s arrest, Russia’s foreign ministry sent a note to Paris requesting access to him, even though Durov holds French citizenship. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized Durov for leaving Russia, suggesting that by doing so, Durov has now become “unpredictable and dangerous” in the eyes of Western countries.
Russia had attempted to block Telegram in 2018 after the app refused to give state security services access to encrypted messages. The ban was largely ineffective and led to protests in Moscow.
As Telegram’s popularity grows, the platform has faced increasing scrutiny from European countries, including France, over security and privacy concerns. In response to the reports of Durov’s detention, Elon Musk remarked, “It’s 2030 in Europe, and you’re being executed for liking a meme.”
Outside the French embassy in Moscow, a lone protester held a sign that read, “Liberté pour Pavel Durov.”
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/telegram-messaging-app-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-france-tf1-tv-says-2024-08-24/
