Upon his arrival in France from Azerbaijan, accompanied by his bodyguard, Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old French-Russian founder and CEO of Telegram, has been arrested. A warrant had been issued against him by French investigators looking into the instant messaging service. The system was under scrutiny by the National Anti-Fraud Office.
The reason? Activities on the encrypted platform that range from money laundering to drug trafficking, Bfmtv explained, adding that these are crimes in which the company is complicit due to the lack of moderation.
Russia’s reaction
Russian Embassy in Paris Accuses French Authorities of ‘Refusing to Cooperate’ with Moscow. “After the news of the arrest was spread in the media, we immediately asked for clarifications from the French authorities – reads a post published on social media by the diplomatic representation – we asked that his rights be protected and consular assistance be guaranteed. At the moment the French side refuses to cooperate. We are in contact with Durov’s lawyer”.
“Do you think that this time they will turn to Paris to ask for Durov’s release or will they bite their tongue?”, said the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharovwith a reference to international organizations.
In the past, “there have been complaints about Telegram in many countries because of the technical parameters of the encryption system,” Zakharova said, according to Russian news agency Tass, citing a 2018 case when a number of NGOs condemned a Russian decision to block Telegram. But Durov, she added, has always remained at liberty and continued to work on his creation.
Second Dmitry Medvedevdeputy chairman of the Russian National Security Council, Durov ”made a mistake when he decided to leave Russia to become a global citizen.” “He wanted to be a citizen of the world who is comfortable living away from his homeland,” Medvedev added, recalling a conversation with Durov during which the businessman had shown himself reluctant to cooperate with Russian security forces.
“He miscalculated. The enemies we now have in common see him as a Russian and, therefore, unpredictable and dangerous,” Medvedev noted. “It is time for Durov to understand that one cannot choose either the country of origin or the time in which one is born,” he concluded.
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