Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France on Saturday as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraudulent transactions allegedly facilitated through his platform, French prosecutors announced on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement on social media platform X, made the first official confirmation of Durov’s arrest since his detention at Le Bourget airport outside Paris.
Macron emphasized that the arrest was not politically motivated, stating, “The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau provided further details, revealing that Durov’s arrest is linked to a probe launched by the office’s cybercrime unit on July 8.
The investigation centers on suspected complicity in various crimes, including operating an online platform that enables illicit transactions, the dissemination of child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud. Additional charges include the refusal to communicate information to authorities, money laundering, and providing cryptographic services to criminals.
Durov, 39, who holds dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, can be held until Wednesday under French law. The UAE foreign ministry has submitted an urgent request to France “to provide him with all the necessary consular services.”
Telegram, an encrypted messaging and social media app with nearly 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics.
In response to the arrest, the company stated, “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.”
The arrest has sparked international reactions. X owner Elon Musk criticized the move, claiming that free speech in Europe is under attack. Meanwhile, Moscow has called on French authorities to accord Durov his rights.
Durov obtained his French passport in 2021 through a rare, fast-track procedure for high-profile foreigners, exempting him from usual legal requirements such as having lived in the country for at least five years. This special naturalization process handles only 10-20 cases each year and requires high-level political support.
The Kremlin has taken a cautious stance, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that Russia has yet to see any official French accusations against Durov. “We do not yet know what exactly Durov is accused of,” Peskov said at a news briefing.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by governments in regulating global tech platforms and balancing user privacy with the prevention of criminal activities online. The international tech community and policymakers are closely watching the developments, recognizing the potential implications for the future of encrypted messaging apps and online content moderation.
