Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of the Telegram messaging app, had his detention extended by French judicial authorities recently, following his arrest on Saturday night upon his landing in Paris. Durov is accused of enabling criminal activity on his free speech-oriented social media platform, a claim that his lawyer has dubbed as “absolutely ridiculous”. It is believed that the extension of his preliminary detention could last up to 96 hours, post which a decision will be taken by a judge to either press formal charges against Durov or set him free.
Reacting to the arrest, Dmitry Agranovsky, Durov’s attorney, likened the situation to blaming a car manufacturer for a car being used for criminal purposes. Meanwhile, Telegram released a statement post Durov’s arrest saying that the CEO “has nothing to hide” and stated that Telegram upholds EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and conforms to international moderation standards. Further, it has been drawing increasing users due to its stance on freedom of speech and encrypted messaging services.
Elon Musk, in his characteristic sharp humor, criticized Durov’s arrest, later sharing a snippet from a Tucker Carlson’s April 2024 interview with Durov. In the interview, Durov revealed that Western intelligence agencies have been trying to infiltrate Telegram or pressurize him into collaborating. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, former US presidential candidate, stressed the urgency of protecting free speech post Durov’s arrest.
Durov, who first started experiencing infringement on free speech in Russia, had chosen Dubai for Telegram’s headquarters, believing he would find more freedom there than in Russia. The Kremlin, despite its initial strained tie with Durov due to the usage of his apps in Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan protests, has publically supported him following his arrest, demanding that the French authorities explain the reasons behind the detention. Protests have been staged outside the French embassy in Moscow, demanding Durov’s release.