PARIS – Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France on August 24 as part of an investigation into crimes involving child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors confirmed on August 26.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Durov’s arrest, which occurred at Le Bourget airport near Paris. He emphasized that the arrest was part of a judicial investigation and not politically motivated, addressing online speculation to the contrary. Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to lawful free speech, stating, “This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained that the arrest stemmed from a cybercrime investigation initiated by her office on July 8. The probe involves allegations of complicity in various crimes, including facilitating illicit transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and refusing to cooperate with authorities. Durov is expected to be held until August 28 as the investigation continues.
Telegram, an encrypted messaging platform with nearly 1 billion users, is widely used in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. Durov, often compared to Mark Zuckerberg for his influence in the tech world, holds dual French and UAE citizenship and has an estimated fortune of US$15.5 billion.
The arrest has sparked criticism, including from X owner Elon Musk, who accused European authorities of suppressing free speech. Moscow also called for Durov’s rights to be respected. Tensions between France and Russia have been on the rise, with accusations from France that Russia is attempting to destabilize the country ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Telegram, based in Dubai, issued a statement denying any wrongdoing by its founder, emphasizing that the company abides by European Union laws and maintains industry-standard moderation practices. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the company said.
The Kremlin responded cautiously, stating that it had not yet received official accusations against Durov. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was premature to comment without knowing the full charges.
The Russian embassy in Paris requested consular access but reported that French authorities had not cooperated. The embassy, however, confirmed that it was in contact with Durov’s lawyer, though further details remain unclear.