Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France – DW – 25.08.2024

French police arrested Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday.

Durov was arrested on the basis of an arrest warrant for crimes related to the popular messaging app, the AFP news agency reported, citing unnamed officials.

According to French broadcaster TF1, Durov arrived from Azerbaijan on board his private jet and was arrested at around 8 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT).

He is scheduled to appear in court on Sunday.

Why is Durov being investigated?

Durov is suspected of not having taken any measures to curb the use of his platform for criminal purposes.

France's OFMIN, an agency for the prevention of violence against minors, has issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation. He is accused of alleged crimes including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and promoting terrorism, a source familiar with the case said.

“End Telegram's impunity,” said one of the investigators, adding that they were surprised that Durov had come to Paris, even though they knew he was a wanted man.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is one of the most important social media platforms in the world after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat. It currently aims to reach one billion active users by next year.

Durov, 39, was born in Russia and reportedly holds French citizenship. He founded Telegram in 2013 together with his brother Nikolai.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to close opposition communities on his social media platform VK. He later sold the platform.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the main source of unfiltered, sometimes graphic and misleading content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict.

How does Russia react to Durov’s arrest?

Following reports of the arrest of Pavel Durov in France, the Russian embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to clarify the situation, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.

“Do you think they will turn to Paris and demand Durov’s release, or will they keep quiet?” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked on Telegram.

The messenger app is one of the most important online networks in Russia. Numerous authorities and politicians use it to communicate.

dh/ab (AFP, dpa, Reuters)