Russia speaks out over France's arrest of Telegram founder.
The Russian embassy immediately stepped in to clarify the situation regarding France's arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram messaging app. Photo: AFP
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on August 25 that France's decision to arrest Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov raises questions about whether international organizations will demand his release or will "go back on their word."
The Russian diplomat pointed out that in 2018, a group of 26 non-governmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, and many others, condemned the Russian court's ruling to block the Telegram app.
"Do you think they will call Paris this time and demand Durov's release, or will they go back on their word?" Zakharova commented on Telegram.
"There were legislative complaints against Telegram in 2018, and several countries filed complaints due to the encryption system specifications of the application," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson explained, adding that the Telegram CEO remained free and continued to develop the application during that time.
Local television channelLCIReports indicate that Mr. Durov was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport at approximately 8 PM on August 24th (local time). Mr. Durov, 39, departed from Azerbaijan for Paris on a private plane. The founder of the Telegram messaging app was accompanied by a woman and a bodyguard.
According toLCIFollowing a preliminary investigation, French authorities issued an arrest warrant for the tech entrepreneur. French officials believe that Telegram's lack of adequate censorship, encryption tools, and alleged lack of cooperation with police could lead to Durov being considered an accomplice in drug trafficking, cyber violence, fraud, organized crime, and incitement to terrorism.
Zakharova confirmed that the Russian embassy "immediately got involved" to clarify the situation regarding the arrest of the Telegram founder, "as they would in any case, when there is information that one side has arrested a Russian citizen."
"There's no need to remind our diplomats of their duties," Zakharova added.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Embassy in France has taken the necessary steps to clarify the situation surrounding the arrest, although Durov's representatives have not yet contacted the Russian diplomatic mission in France.
"Regarding information about Mr. Durov's arrest, the Russian embassy in France immediately took the necessary steps in such a situation to clarify the circumstances surrounding a Russian citizen, even though the businessman's representatives did not file a complaint," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that this work had begun before the Deputy Speaker of the State Duma (Lower House) Vladislav Davankov contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Earlier, Davankov had contacted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a request to find a way to secure Durov's release.
"Almost no one else has done more for the development of digital services in Russia and the world," Danakov said, expressing his support for the Telegram founder.
"We need to get him out of there. I have urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to protest to the French authorities to release Pavel Durov from detention. His arrest may be politically motivated and used to access the personal information of Telegram users. We cannot allow this to happen," the Russian politician wrote on Telegram.
According to Russian officials, if Paris refuses to release Durov, "everything must be done to get him to the UAE or Russia, provided, of course, that he agrees."
Danakov rejected the accusations against the Telegram CEO, saying that illegal activity can be found on all messaging platforms. "But nobody arrests or imprisons their owners. And that shouldn't happen this time," the Russian official stated.
Pavel Durov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2006, he founded the social media platform VK, often described as "the Russian Facebook." In 2013, he launched Telegram, which now has over 950 million monthly active users.
Mr. Durov left Russia in the mid-2010s and lived primarily in the UAE. He became a French citizen in 2021. He holds Russian, French, UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship.
According to news outlets, Mr. Durov is scheduled to appear in court on August 25th and faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.TF1.
Telegram is ranked as one of the largest social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. The platform aims to reach one billion users in the next year.
After Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the primary platform for both Russia and Ukraine to report on the fighting and the political situation related to the conflict.
This app has become a favored communication tool for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and officials in his administration. The Kremlin and the Russian government also use it to disseminate Russian propaganda. It is also one of the few platforms through which Russians can access news about the war in Ukraine.
Durov, who owns assetsForbesEstimated at around $15.5 billion, he said some governments had sought to pressure him, but the Telegram app, which now has 900 million active users, remains a "neutral platform" and not "a participant in geopolitics".
