Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s detention has been extended by French authorities on Sunday. Pavel was arrested last weekend at a Paris airport over allegations that his messaging app facilitated criminal activities, including money laundering and drug trafficking.
According to a report by the AFP, an investigating magistrate has ordered that Durov, 39, remain in custody beyond Sunday night. Durov can be held for questioning for up to 96 hours, after which he must either be charged or released from custody.
Durov was traveling on his private jet from Azerbaijan and that a French arrest warrant targeted him as part of a preliminary investigation.
Lack of Moderation on Telegram Behind Arrest?
France’s OFMIN, an agency tasked with combating violence against minors, is investigating the Russian-born Durov in a probe into alleged offenses, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism, according to AFP, which quoted officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Franco-Russian billionaire is accused of failing to prevent his app from being used for criminal activities. French media reported that the investigation was focused on a lack of moderation on the platform.
Telegram: Durov Has Nothing to Hide
Telegram responded to these allegations by stating that Durov “has nothing to hide” and frequently travels within Europe. “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards,” the platform said in a statement on X.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”
The Russian embassy in France has demanded consular access to Durov and insisted that his rights be ensured. The embassy has stated that France has so far “avoided engagement” on the situation involving Durov, and Russian diplomats are reportedly in contact with Durov’s lawyer.
The Geopolitical Angle
Telegram, which boasts close to 1 billion users, was created by Durov and his brother in 2013 in Russia.
Durov fled Russia in 2014, searching for a new home for his company, trying out various cities, including Berlin, Singapore, and San Francisco, before eventually settling in Dubai. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the primary source of unfiltered and sometimes graphic content from both sides of the conflict.
The app is heavily used by Russian and Ukrainian officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Several European countries, including France, have expressed concerns about the app, particularly regarding security and data privacy issues.
Responding to Durov’s arrest, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna, accused France of acting as a “totalitarian” society.
“Some naive persons still don’t understand that if they play a more or less visible role in the international information space, it is not safe for them to visit countries which move towards much more totalitarian societies,” Ulyanov wrote on X.
Al Ja zeera quoting Ben Aris, the editor-in-chief of bne IntelliNews, said that Durov is also in trouble in Russia since he refused to give the Kremlin access to the electronic keys, which would allow them to read private Telegram messages. Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app refused to comply with a court order to grant state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages. “Durov was in Azerbaijan, where Putin recently was… He is probably trying to lobby Putin to stop the block of Telegram in the country,” Aris said.
Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk also criticized Durov’s arrest, writing on X: “It’s 2030 in Europe, and you’re being executed for liking a meme.”