Telegram said in a statement that Russian-born Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested in Paris, had nothing to hide and that it was unreasonable to hold the owner responsible for misuse of the messaging and social media platform.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire who has portrayed himself as “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”, was arrested shortly after arriving on a private jet from Azerbaijan at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late on Saturday.
The Telegram CEO’s arrest has sparked warnings from Moscow to Paris that he should be given more rights, while X owner Elon Musk has criticised what he calls an attack on freedom of speech in Europe.
The French government has not made any official comment on the arrests, but French news channel FranceInfo reported: Durov remained in custody on Monday. He could be held in custody for up to four days.
In a brief statement released just after midnight Paris time, Telegram did not provide details about the arrest but said the Dubai-based company complies with European Union law and that its moderation was “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently to Europe,” Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for misuse of its platform.”
“We await a quick resolution to this situation. Telegram stands with you.”
Durov, a dual French and United Arab Emirates national, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegations that a lack of moderators on Telegram and poor cooperation with police allowed a wide range of crimes to be committed, a French police source said.
The investigation is being led by the Cybersecurity Gendarmerie and France’s national anti-fraud police force, the source said, adding that the investigating judge specializes in organized crime.
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.
French national
Telegram was founded by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after the Russians refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform, VK, which he sold.
With nearly 1 billion users, the encrypted application is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet republics, positioning it as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.
Born in Leningrad in the Soviet Union and a graduate of St. Petersburg State University, Durov describes his political views as “libertarian” and says he was influenced by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
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 be granted citizenship under special rules, provided he or she speaks French and “contributes through outstanding work to France’s influence and the flourishing 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.”
Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel 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 the reports.
Durov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion, responded to pressure from some governments by saying in April that the app should remain a neutral platform and not be an “actor of geopolitics.”
Durov, whose arrest was widely reported in Russia, came up with the idea for an encrypted messaging app while under pressure from Russian authorities, with the encryption designed by his brother Nikolai.
“I would rather be free than follow someone else’s orders,” Durov said in April about leaving Russia and scouting locations for his company, including Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco.
Maria Butina, a Russian lawmaker who spent 15 months in a U.S. prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, said Durov was a “political prisoner and the victim of a witch hunt by the West.”
