French prosecutors set to charge or release Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
PARIS — French prosecutors expected to charge or free CEO of popular messaging app TelegramPavel Durov, after his custody order expired on Wednesday.
Durov was arrested Saturday at Le Bourget airport near Paris as part of a judicial inquiry opened last month These are 12 alleged criminal offenses. These include allegations that its platform was used to sell child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, to defraud, to encourage organized crime transactions, and for Telegram’s refusal to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
Under French law, Durov can be held in custody for questioning for up to 96 hours after his arrest. The Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Durov’s custody was extended Monday night for a maximum of 48 hours. After that, authorities will have to release him or charge him, the prosecutor’s office said in a previous statement.
His arrest in France sparked outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it politically motivated and evidence of the West’s double standards on free speech. The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities themselves tried to block Telegram but failed, lifting the ban in 2020.
In Iran, where Telegram is widely used despite being officially banned after years of protests against the country’s Shiite theocracy, Durov’s arrest in France prompted comments from the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised France for its “rigor” toward those who “violate governance” of the internet.
French President Emmanuel Macron French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Mr Durov’s arrest was not a political decision but part of an independent investigation. Macron told X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but that “freedoms are respected within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”
In a statement posted on its platform after Durov’s arrest, Telegram said it complies with EU laws and that its moderation is “in line with industry standards and constantly improving.”
“It is absurd to claim that any platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of this platform,” Telegram said in its message. “Nearly a billion users worldwide rely on Telegram as a means of communication and a source of vital information. We expect a quick resolution of this situation. Telegram is with all of you.”
Durov is a citizen of Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The UAE foreign ministry said on Tuesday it was “closely following the case” and had asked France to provide Mr Durov with “all necessary consular services on an urgent basis”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Durov would “be given all necessary opportunities for his legal defense” and added that Moscow was “ready to provide all necessary assistance and support” to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizen.
“But the situation is complicated by the fact that he is also a French citizen,” Peskov said.
Telegram, which claims to have nearly a billion users worldwide, was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself came under pressure from Russian authorities.
In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site he launched in 2006.
The company came under pressure during the Russian government’s crackdown on mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow in late 2011 and 2012.
Durov said authorities demanded that the site remove online communities of Russian opposition activists and then hand over personal data of users who took part in the 2013-2014 popular uprising in Ukraine that ultimately toppled a pro-Kremlin president.
Durov said in a recent interview that he had rejected these demands and left the country.
The protests prompted Russian authorities to repress digital spaceand Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric have offered Russians a convenient way to communicate and share information.
Telegram also continues to be a popular source of information in Ukraine, where media outlets and officials use it to share information about the war and broadcast warnings of missiles and air raids.
Western governments have often criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation, which experts say opens the messaging platform to potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and sharing material related to the sexual exploitation of minors.
In 2022, Germany has imposed fines Telegram operators were fined $5 million for failing to provide a legal way to report illegal content or designate an entity in Germany to receive official communications. Both obligations are required by German laws that regulate major online platforms.
