Russian lawmakers opposed the arrest of the head of the Telegram social network Pavel Durov. He was detained at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday for not taking sufficient action against the use of this communication platform for criminal activity.
The Russian-born billionaire was arrested when he flew into the country on his private jet from Azerbaijan on Saturday night, according to French TV station TF1 and AFP news agency. The 39-year-old businessman with French and Russian citizenship was accompanied by a bodyguard and one woman.
More on the arrest itself:
Paris authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into whether the lack of regulation on the Dubai-based platform allowed illegal activities including terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and child abuse.
Pro-Kremlin Russian politicians do not like the progress of the French authorities. They appeal for freedom of speech despite the fact that the Russian regime is trying to block Western social networks and they have almost eliminated the opposition media.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vladislav Davankov he cried Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to release Durov. “His arrest may have political motives and may be a way to obtain personal data about Telegram users. We must not allow that,” he wrote on his channel on this platform.
Russia’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, went even further in his statement. “Some naive people still do not understand that when they play a more visible role in the international intelligence arena, it is not safe for them to visit countries that are moving towards a totalitarian society,” he wrote a diplomat on the X network.
At the same time, the Russian Federation became directly involved in the matter through its Embassy in Paris. Embassy of Russia in France saidthat he requested consular access to Durov, although according to the Interfax agency, his agents did not request it. According to him, Russian diplomats are in contact with Durov’s lawyer.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was detained on his arrival from Baku to Paris, planned to spend at least the evening in the French capital, where he was going to have dinner, sources said to AFPhttps://t.co/Lfn1wnIPK6
— RBC (@ru_rbc) August 25, 2024
“When the news about the detention of Pavel Durov appeared in the media, we immediately asked the French authorities to clarify the reasons and we asked to ensure the protection of his rights and the provision of consular access. But the French side is avoiding cooperation so far,” said the Russian embassy in Paris.
French police and the French Interior Ministry have not commented on the arrest.
At the same time, Durov does not have the most rosy relationship with his native country. In 2014, he even fled Russia after refusing to comply with the demands of the country’s security agency to share the data of some Ukrainian users of the country’s most popular social network, VKontakte. It was also founded by him in 2007, earning him the nickname “the Russian Mark Zuckerberg,” referring to the founder of Facebook. However, since 2014 it is no longer his.
Durov himself he claimsthat he cut ties with Russia. “But for our common enemies, it is still Russian,” he announced on Sunday the former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
Founded in 2013, Telegram has become an important communication tool for world leaders in recent years. Thanks to encryption, the application is often used by people living in non-democratic regimes, for example it is widespread in Russia or Iran. However, it is also popular in Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union.
He also plays a key role during the war in Ukraine. It is through them that Russian and Ukrainian bloggers with good sources within the military are disseminating information about the development of the fight.
Telegram can be used to spread anti-regime messages or call protests. At the same time, it is attractive to criminals. With almost a billion users, it is now one of the most popular messaging apps, competing with Meta’s WhatsApp.
Times of Finance statesthat Durov’s arrest is likely to intensify the global debate about possible regulation of social networks. There is a gap between prioritizing free speech and controlling the content that networks host. There is also the question of whether company executives should take personal responsibility for control deficiencies.
The news of the arrest of Durov did not leave his “colleague”, the owner of the X social network Elon Musk, alone. „ LOCATION (view; editor’s note): It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” he sarcastically wrote on his network.
2024-08-25 13:00:00
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