Durov faces up to 20 years in prison in France: mass media

According to TF1, the businessman faces up to 20 years in prison. The CEO and founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested on the tarmac of Paris' Le Bourget airport on Saturday, French broadcaster TF1 reported. The list of crimes he is accused of includes receiving stolen goods, money laundering, fraud, terrorism and drug trafficking.

Durov, who has dual French and Russian nationality, was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by OFMIN, a department of the National Directorate of the French Criminal Police, for failure to comply with legal proceedings and possible involvement in drug trafficking, educational crimes and fraud, according to TF1.

He reportedly arrived by plane from Azerbaijan and was taken into custody at 8pm French time. Durov's arrest warrant could only be executed if he was in France. According to TF1, Durov therefore evaded arrest in Europe by travelling through South America, the United Arab Emirates and the former Soviet states, allegedly avoiding transit through countries where Telegram is monitored.

According to TF1, Durov was arrested by French fraud investigators. The CEO is due to appear in court on Saturday evening and charges could be brought against him on Sunday.

In France, Russian telecom activist Pavel Durov is scheduled to be remanded in custody for admitting to numerous offenses and crimes on Twitter. The steps taken by the Russian Embassy in France to clarify the situation were confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Durov's detention should serve as a warning to platform operators who refuse to suppress the truth at the request of the government and secret services.