French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France as part of an ongoing judicial investigation but that his actions were not politically motivated.
Macron’s statement about X marked the first official confirmation of Durov’s arrest, nearly two days after he was detained shortly after arriving on a private jet from Azerbaijan at Le Bourget airport outside Paris.
In the absence of official confirmation, speculation was rife about the reasons for the detention, with Macron saying he had “read here incorrect information about France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.”
“The arrest of the Telegram president on French soil was carried out as part of an ongoing judicial investigation,” he wrote. “This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”
Durov is under investigation by the National Cybercrime and Fraud Prevention Bureau for failing to cooperate in cyber and financial crimes on the messaging app and social media platform Telegram, a police spokesman told Reuters. He remains in custody, he said.
Reuters was unable to speak to the lawyer representing him.
Durov’s arrest has drawn criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said freedom of speech in Europe is under attack, and Moscow has called on French authorities to recognize Durov’s rights.
Tensions between France and Russia have been rising for months, with French officials accusing Russia of trying to destabilize France ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its tough stance on the Ukraine war, an accusation Russia denies.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire who has been cast as Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg, is a dual French and United Arab Emirates citizen and has a fortune estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion. In April, Durov said the app should remain a neutral platform and not be a “geopolitical player”, despite pressure from some governments.
Telegram did not provide details about the arrest but said the Dubai-based company complies with European Union law and that its moderation is “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently to Europe,” Telegram said in a statement. “It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for misuse of its platform.”
Asked about his arrest, the Kremlin said on Monday it had not yet received any formal complaints against Durov from France.
“It is not yet known what specific crimes Mr. Durov is accused of,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news conference.
“On what basis are they trying to incriminate Durov? Until we know, any statements made will most likely be wrong,” Peskov said.
The Russian embassy in Paris told X-News that French authorities had not cooperated with a request for a consular visit but that it was in contact with Durov’s lawyer. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
French national
Telegram was founded by Durov, who left Russia and sold his social media platform, VK, in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on the platform.
The cryptocurrency, which has nearly one billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet republics. Born in Leningrad in the Soviet Union and a graduate of St. Petersburg State University, Durov describes his political views as “libertarian.”
He received a French passport in 2021 through a special procedure for high-profile foreigners that exempts him from normal legal requirements, such as having lived in France for at least five years.
The French foreign ministry, which is in charge of the process, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The presidential office of the Elysee Palace also declined to comment, referring the matter to the foreign ministry.
According to French law, any foreigner can acquire citizenship under special rules, provided he or she speaks French and “contributes through outstanding work to France’s influence and the prosperity of its international economic relations.”
Durov has never lived in France, and it is unclear what special connection he had to the country. On June 10, Durov posted on his Telegram channel, “As a French citizen, I agree that France is the best holiday destination.”
His naturalization case is rare, with only 10 to 20 processed each year, according to local media reports, and each one requires high-level political backing.
Evan Spiegel, founder of Snap Inc., which creates the Snapchat app, gained French citizenship through the same program in 2018, local media reported at the time. Snap did not respond to requests for comment.
Russian state media reported that Durov also holds Russian and Saint Kitts and Nevis nationality. Reuters could not verify those reports.
