French judicial authorities have extended the detention of Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app, following his arrest at a Paris airport on Sunday.
Durov, 39, was apprehended at Le Bourget airport on Saturday after French investigators issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with allegations involving fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, promotion of terrorism, and cyberbullying, all related to the use of the Telegram platform.
Durov is accused of failing to address the criminal exploitation of his platform, and authorities detained him after he arrived in Paris from Baku on his private jet. “Enough of Telegram’s impunity,” one investigator remarked, expressing surprise that Durov chose to travel to Paris despite knowing he was wanted.
In response to the arrest, Telegram issued a statement on Sunday evening, asserting, “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving. 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 is responsible for the abuse of that platform. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation.”
The investigating magistrate handling the case extended Durov’s detention beyond Sunday night, according to sources close to the investigation. This initial period of questioning can last up to 96 hours, after which the judge will decide whether to release Durov or press charges and remand him into further custody.
The Russian government has criticized France for its handling of the situation, accusing the French authorities of “refusing to cooperate” following Durov’s arrest.
The Russian embassy in Paris has requested access to Durov, claiming that France has “avoided engagement” on the matter.
Pavel Durov has had a contentious relationship with Russian authorities since 2014 when he left Russia after refusing to comply with Kremlin demands to shut down opposition groups on VK, the social network he founded at the age of 22.
Following a dispute with VK’s Kremlin-linked owners, Durov turned his focus to Telegram, which he co-founded with his brother Nikolai in 2013.
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Telegram has since grown into one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, with 950 million active monthly users, and has become a significant source of information—and disinformation—about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Durov currently resides in Dubai, where Telegram is based, and holds citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He has previously attempted to settle in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco but ultimately chose Dubai, praising its business environment and “neutrality.”
Unlike in many Western countries, Telegram faces little pressure in the UAE to moderate its content, while Western governments are increasingly focused on cracking down on hate speech, disinformation, and other illegal content on digital platforms.
The arrest has drawn reactions from various quarters, including Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and now a hawkish deputy head of the country’s security council. Medvedev criticized Durov for leaving Russia, claiming that Durov misjudged the situation, believing he would never have to cooperate with security services abroad.
“He miscalculated,” Medvedev stated. “For all our common enemies now, he is Russian – and therefore unpredictable and dangerous.”
Right-wing U.S. commentator and conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson also weighed in, describing Durov as “a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies.”
Earlier this year, Durov gave an interview to Carlson in which he insisted that Telegram should remain a “neutral platform” and not “a player in geopolitics.” He emphasized that users “love the independence” of Telegram, citing privacy and freedom as key reasons for its popularity.
Source: LIB