Russia warned France on Tuesday that Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of the messaging app Telegram, might have been detained for political reasons after he was taken into custody.
TakeAway Points:
- Russia said on Tuesday that if France is unable to produce proof of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s involvement, then the arrest of the executive could be seen as an act of intimidation and a restriction on his freedom of expression.
- Durov was detained over the weekend in France in connection with an investigation that was launched on July 8 into fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, and the dissemination of juvenile pornographic photos on the platform.
- Given that Durov is a citizen of Russia, the country is prepared to provide him with all the help he needs, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated.
Russia’s warning to France
On Saturday, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant for Durov’s arrest over an investigation opened on July 8 into organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and the distribution of pornographic images of minors on the platform.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on a Tuesday call with journalists, urged Paris to provide evidence to support its allegations against Durov, Reuters and Russian state news agency Tass reported.
“The charges are very serious indeed,” Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters-translated comments. “They require a no less serious basis of evidence. Otherwise, they will be a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”
Peskov suggested that Durov’s arrest could be viewed as both restricting freedom of speech and an act of intimidation if France fails to provide serious evidence of his guilt, Reuters and Tass reported.
Although born in Russia, Durov holds citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates. Peskov indicated that Russia still considers him a citizen, however, and that the country stands ready to support him with necessary assistance, although Peskov admitted the situation was complex.
On Tuesday, the UAE said in a statement it had submitted a request to French officials offering Durov diplomatic assistance “in an urgent manner” and was “closely following the case.”
Following the arrest of Durov, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X Monday that the decision to detain him was not a political move but part of an independent investigation and that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of speech.
Durov’s Telegram’s previous interaction with Russia
Durov, 39, is one of Russia’s most prominent technology billionaires. He founded Telegram in 2013, marketing it as an uncensored and neutral platform accessible to people from all walks of life and views.
Durov is estimated to have a net worth of about $15.5 billion, according to Forbes, making him the world’s 121st wealthiest person.
Russia blocked access to Telegram in 2018 and has fined the company several times for failing to delete allegedly illegal content. In 2020, access to Telegram was restored in Russia, sparking speculation that Telegram could have ties to the Russian government — something that Telegram has denied.
The social media app, which counts 800 million users globally, is widely used in Russia as well as in Ukraine. The app is used by government officials and the military on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Before he landed at France’s Le Bourget airport on his private jet, Durov had visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, according to several media outlets. CNBC was not able to independently confirm this.
There had been speculation that he was due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin; however, Peskov told the BBC that a meeting never took place.
Russia’s warnings to France come as relations between the two nations remain sour amid Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In April, Macron, a key supporter of Ukraine among Western leaders, said there was a “risk our Europe could die” if it didn’t make reforms to help it defend Ukraine.
“The principal danger for European security is the war in Ukraine,” Macron said during a speech at the time.
