Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has “nothing to hide” after his arrest in Paris, the company says

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram who was arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide as it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for abusing the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement.

Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire billed as “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after boarding a private jet late Saturday from Azerbaijan.

The arrest of Telegram’s chief executive prompted a warning from Moscow in Paris that he should be given his rights and criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said free speech in Europe was under attack.

Durov was arrested in France as part of an ongoing judicial investigation and had no political motive, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. French news channel franceinfo said Durov was still in custody on Monday and that he could remain in custody for up to four days.

Telegram, in a brief statement released after midnight in Paris, did not elaborate on the arrest, but said the Dubai-based company complied with European Union laws and its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving.”

“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and frequently travels to Europe,” Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”

“We are waiting for a quick solution to this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

Durov, who holds dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegedly allowing a wide range of crimes due to Telegram’s lack of moderators and lack of cooperation with police, it said. a French police source. .

A cyber security gendarmerie unit and France’s national anti-fraud police unit are leading the investigation, the source said, adding that the investigating judge specialized in organized crime.

When asked about his arrest, the Kremlin said on Monday that it had not yet seen any official French charges against Durov.

“We still don’t know what exactly Durov is accused of,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news conference.

“What exactly are they trying to incriminate Durov? Without knowing, it would probably be a mistake to make any statements,” Peskov said.

FRENCH CITIZEN

Telegram was founded by Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform VK, which he has since sold.

The encrypted app, with nearly 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. It ranks as one of the leading social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.

Durov, who was born in Soviet Leningrad and graduated from St. Petersburg State University, lists his political views as “libertarian” and says he was inspired by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

He obtained his French passport in 2021 through a special procedure for high-profile foreigners, exempting them from the usual legal requirements, including having lived in the country for at least five years.

The French Foreign Ministry, which is in charge of the proceedings, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Elysee presidential office also declined to comment, deferring to the foreign ministry.

Under French law, any foreigner can be granted citizenship under special rules, provided he speaks French and “contributes through his exceptional work to the influence of France and the prosperity of its international economic relations”.

Durov has never lived in France and it was unclear what special connection he had to the country. On June 10, Durov posted on his Telegram channel: “As a French citizen, I agree that France is the best vacation destination.”

Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel obtained French citizenship in 2018 under the same program, local media reported at the time. Snap did not respond to a request for comment.

Russian state media reported that Durov also held citizenship of Russia and St. Kitts and Nevis. Reuters was unable to verify these reports.

Estimated by Forbes to be worth $15.5 billion, Durov said in April that some governments had sought to pressure him, but the app should remain a neutral platform and not a “player in geopolitics.”

Durov, whose arrest made headlines in Russia, came up with the idea for an encrypted messaging app while facing pressure from Russian authorities. His younger brother, Nikolai, created encryption.

“I’d rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov said in April of his departure from Russia and search for a home for his company, which included stints in Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco.

Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who spent 15 months in a US prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov “is a political prisoner – the victim of a witch hunt by the West”.