- Messaging app company Telegram posted an official statement on its official channel on Sunday saying that its chief executive officer and owner Pavel Durov has "nothing to hide" and calling his arrest in France on Saturday "absurd."[1][1][2][2]
- French Pres. Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday that Durov had been detained upon his arrival in France but dismissed rumors of a political reason behind the arrest, following criticism from both the Kremlin and free speech advocates.[3][4][5]
- French prosecutors later disclosed that he was arrested in connection with an investigation opened last month into criminal activity on the platform, including drug sales and child pornography, and a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. The European Commission said this has nothing to do with its Digital Services Act (DSA).[6][7]
- These developments come as judicial authorities in France extended the initial detention period of Durov beyond Sunday night. Under French law, this phase can last up to a maximum of 96 hours, or four days. Then, a judge must either free the detainee or file charges and keep him in custody.[8][9]
- The Dubai-based billionaire who founded the app that has more than 900M users and left his native Russia a decade ago also holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates. Unverified rumors claim he was in Azerbaijan to lobby Vladimir Putin not to block Telegram in Russia.[10][11][12]
- Meanwhile, the chief executive officer of the self-styled pro-free speech video hosting platform Rumble, Chris Pavlovski, announced in a post on X on Sunday that he had left Europe following the arrest of Durov.[13][14]
