26 August 2024: Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of Telegram, was imprisoned by French authorities for an extended period following his arrest at Bourget airport outside Paris on suspicion of facilitating illegal activity, such as drug trafficking and money laundering, via his messaging service.
Durov, 39, was ordered to remain in custody past Sunday night by an investigating magistrate, according to an AFP report that cited an unidentified source with knowledge of the case.
Durov can be charged or released from jail following a maximum of 96 hours of questioning.
According to reports, Durov was on his way from Azerbaijan on his private plane when he was the object of a French arrest warrant issued as part of an initial probe.
According to AFP, which cited officials speaking on condition of anonymity, Russian-born Durov is the subject of an investigation by France’s OFMIN, an organization tasked with preventing violence against minors. The investigation is into allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promotion of terrorism. The billionaire is charged with neglecting to stop illegal usage of his app.
According to TF1 TV and BFM TV, which both cited anonymous sources, the probe is concentrated on the platform’s lack of moderation.
According to Telegram, Durov travels throughout Europe frequently and “has nothing to hide.”
The platform released a statement saying, “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards.”
“It is ludicrous to hold a platform or its proprietor accountable for misuse of that platform.”
The Russian embassy in France has requested consular access to Durov and that his rights be upheld, according to a report by the Russian state news agency TASS.
According to the embassy, France has “avoided engagement” in the Durov crisis thus far. Durov’s attorney is in communication with Russian diplomats, the embassy stated.
Following the arrest of Durov, the wealthy creator of Telegram, Elon Musk has voiced his dissatisfaction with European authorities, calling it an attack on free expression. Musk has called for justice for Durov in several posts. American businessman Vivek Ramaswamy stated in a post, “Today is Telegram day. X will be there tomorrow. Musk agreed, stating, “He’s right,” in response.
In 2013, Durov and his brother founded Telegram, a messaging app with around one billion users, in Russia. In 2014, Durov left Russia to find a new location for his business. He first lived in Berlin, then in Singapore, then in San Francisco, and finally settled in Dubai.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram emerged as the primary conduit for uncensored and occasionally graphic content from both sides of the conflict.
Officials from both Russia and Ukraine, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, frequently use the app.
Concerns regarding the app’s security and data privacy have been voiced by a number of European nations, including France.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent ambassador to the UN in Vienna, responded to Durov’s detention by accusing France of behaving as a totalitarian society.
According to Ulyanov on X, “Some naive persons still don’t understand that it is not safe for them to visit countries which move towards much more totalitarian societies if they play a more or less visible role in international information space.”
