PARIS: Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors have said.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Monday that Durov was arrested as part of a probe into an unnamed person launched by the office’s cybercrime unit on July 8.The investigation is over suspected complicity in various crimes, including running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, child porn, drug trafficking and fraud, as well as the refusal to communicate information to authorities, money laundering and providing cryptographic services to criminals, the statement said.
Durov’s detention was extended by 48 hours late on Monday, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. After that, prosecutors will either need to charge or release him. Should he face charges, his flight risk status is a factor judges have to include in their assessment of possible pretrial detention, according to French law.
Telegram is a popular messaging and social media app akin to WhatsApp. The encrypted application, with close to 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union.
Durov’s arrest has plunged Moscow-Paris ties to their lowest level, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said said Tuesday, capping months of deteriorating relations between the two nations. French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilise it ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – claims Russia has denied. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but that his French citizenship complicated the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport. “The charges are very serious indeed,” said Peskov.
Durov’s arrest has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech online, with X-owner Elon Musk saying the right to expression in Europe was under attack. Estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion, Durov said in April some govts had sought to pressure him, but the app should remain a neutral platform and not a “player in geopolitics”. Telegram gave no details of the arrest but said the Dubai-based company abided by EU laws and its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Monday that Durov was arrested as part of a probe into an unnamed person launched by the office’s cybercrime unit on July 8.The investigation is over suspected complicity in various crimes, including running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, child porn, drug trafficking and fraud, as well as the refusal to communicate information to authorities, money laundering and providing cryptographic services to criminals, the statement said.
Durov’s detention was extended by 48 hours late on Monday, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. After that, prosecutors will either need to charge or release him. Should he face charges, his flight risk status is a factor judges have to include in their assessment of possible pretrial detention, according to French law.
Telegram is a popular messaging and social media app akin to WhatsApp. The encrypted application, with close to 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union.
Durov’s arrest has plunged Moscow-Paris ties to their lowest level, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said said Tuesday, capping months of deteriorating relations between the two nations. French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilise it ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – claims Russia has denied. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but that his French citizenship complicated the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport. “The charges are very serious indeed,” said Peskov.
Durov’s arrest has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech online, with X-owner Elon Musk saying the right to expression in Europe was under attack. Estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion, Durov said in April some govts had sought to pressure him, but the app should remain a neutral platform and not a “player in geopolitics”. Telegram gave no details of the arrest but said the Dubai-based company abided by EU laws and its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving”.