Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France on criminal charges

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was apprehended at Le Bourget airport in Paris after landing from Azerbaijan, according to a report by French channel TF1.

French authorities had placed an arrest warrant on Durov, citing his lack of cooperation with law enforcement and suspected involvement in various criminal activities.

TF1 detailed that Durov is suspected of complicity in drug trafficking, pedo criminal offenses, and fraud, with the warrant being enforceable only on French soil.

To avoid arrest, Durov reportedly traveled through several countries, including the UAE, former Soviet states, and South America, strategically avoiding locations where Telegram is under surveillance.

"He made a big mistake this evening," a source close to the investigation told TF1, emphasising the significance of Durov's decision to land in France.

French investigators from the anti-fraud directorate placed Durov in custody, and he was scheduled to appear before a judge on Saturday night, with potential charges leading to a 20-year prison sentence, according to TF1.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has responded, with the Russian Embassy in France reportedly taking steps to clarify the situation surrounding Durov, as noted by TASS.

Russian political figures, including Vladislav Davankov, have called for Durov's release, while Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative to international organisations in Vienna, criticised the arrest in a tweet, implying that international information players are at risk in certain countries.

American commentator Tucker Carlson also weighed in, tweeting that Durov's arrest is a warning to platform owners who resist government censorship, describing the event as a dark turn for global free speech.

Telegram, under Durov's leadership, has been controversial, with its moderation policies being lax and attracting criticism for the platform's role in spreading misinformation and hate speech.

In a previous interview with Tucker Carlson, Durov stated that Telegram employs only around 30 engineers, raising concerns about the platform's commitment to user privacy and security.

Despite its controversies, Durov has maintained that Telegram, with 900 million active users, should remain a neutral platform, not a player in geopolitics.

The arrest of Durov has significant implications for the future of Telegram and its operations, particularly given the serious nature of the charges he faces.