Durov’s Arrest in France: Telegram’s Statement Explained
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, a controversial messaging software that has gained popularity, was detained in France on Monday for a second day of interrogation on allegations he committed while maintaining his innocence.
One of the most important IT giants in the world has had an incredible career turn, and his arrest upon his landing at Le Bourget airport outside of Paris late on Saturday is only the most recent example.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the investigating magistrate in charge of the case decided to keep the 39-year-old in custody past Sunday night. A maximum of 96 hours may pass during the initial interrogation period in jail.
Following the conclusion of this detention phase, the judge will have the option of filing charges and keeping Durov under arrest or releasing the guy, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion.
Russia has charged France with “refusing to cooperate,” and fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk has hurried to support Durov and demand his release. Durov is a multi-national citizen who also possesses a French passport.
According to a source close to the case, Durov, who has been headquartered in Dubai recently, traveled from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Paris and was scheduled to have dinner there.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that he was always accompanied on his travels by a personal assistant and a bodyguard.
An arrest warrant for Durov had been issued by the French office of OFMIN, which is in charge of stopping violence against minors. The preliminary investigation into a number of alleged offenses, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism, another source said
Durov is charged with not doing enough to stop illegal activity on his platform.
In response, Telegram stated that “Durov travels frequently throughout Europe and has nothing to hide.”
It further stated, “Telegram’s moderation is in line with industry standards and it complies with all EU laws, including the Digital Services Act.” “It is ludicrous to hold a platform or its proprietor accountable for misuse of that platform.”
“Attack on fundamental human rights”
On August 18 and 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to Azerbaijan and stopped in Baku. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, refuted reports that the two had met in Moscow.
After his initial venture, the Russian social network VKontakte (VK), encountered ownership issues that he attributed to the Kremlin, Durov established Telegram in 2013. 2014 saw his departure from Russia.
The simplicity of watching and uploading movies on Telegram’s message “channels” has contributed to the messaging app’s massive popularity.
However, detractors charge it of providing services for purchasing narcotics along with a variety of unlawful content, including disinformation and graphic sexual imagery.
Peskov stated that “we do not know concretely what Durov is accused of” and that Moscow has not heard from France regarding the reason for his detention.
The social media network X, formerly known as Twitter, and the Tesla automotive business are led by Elon Musk. Musk put the hashtag #FreePavel on X and said in French, “Liberte Liberte! Liberte?” Freedom, Freedom, Freedom?
After obtaining asylum in Russia, US whistleblower Edward Snowden denounced what he called “an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association” and expressed his sadness that Paris had “descended to the level of taking hostages as a means of gaining access to private communications.”
“Express their liberties.”
Why Durov took off for France while he was probably aware that he was wanted there is one of the main mysteries. “Perhaps he felt like he was above the law,” an unnamed individual close to the matter stated.
Telegram has positioned itself as a “neutral” substitute for US-owned platforms, which have come under fire for using user data for profit.
It is also crucial to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which erupted after Moscow invaded its neighbor.
The app is utilized by both Kyiv, which uses President Volodymyr Zelensky’s frequent video speeches to promote Ukraine’s message, and the so-called Russian “Z-bloggers,” who report from the front lines and ardently support the conflict.
Despite his wealth, Durov emphasized that being “free” was his first objective in an uncommon interview with right-wing US talk show host Tucker Carlson in April. He also predicted that Telegram will have one billion users by the following year.
It was my life’s work to enable others to experience freedom as well. and it was my dream that they would be able to express their liberties through the platforms we built. This is Telegram’s mission.
AFP
