Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide and it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for abuses on the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire, was arrested at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris shortly after landing on a private jet from Azerbaijan on Saturday evening.
The arrest of Telegram’s CEO prompted Moscow to warn Paris that his rights should be respected, and X owner Elon Musk to say that freedom of expression in Europe is under attack.
In a brief statement released after midnight Paris time, Telegram did not provide details about the arrest but said the Dubai-based company complies with European Union laws and that its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.”
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently throughout Europe,” Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of such a platform.”
“We are waiting for a quick resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
Durov, who holds dual French and UAE citizenship, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation on charges of enabling a wide range of crimes through lack of moderation on Telegram and lack of cooperation with police, a French police official source said.
A cybersecurity unit and the French police’s national anti-fraud unit are leading the investigation, the source said, adding that the investigating judge specializes in organized crime.
Telegram was founded by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform VK, which he sold.
The encrypted app Telegram, with around 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet republics. It is ranked as one of the top social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.
Durov, born in Soviet Leningrad and a graduate of St. Petersburg State University, classifies his political views as “libertarian” and says he was inspired by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Estimated by Forbes at $15.5 billion, Durov said in April that some governments had sought to pressure him, but that the app should remain a neutral platform and not a “geopolitical player.”
Durov, whose arrest made headlines in Russia, came up with the idea to create an encrypted messaging app despite pressure from Russian authorities. His younger brother Nikolai designed the encryption.
“I’d rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov said in April of his departure from Russia and his 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 U.S. prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov “is a political prisoner, the victim of a Western witch hunt.”
Source: Terra
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