On Sunday, judicial authorities in France confirmed the arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO and founder of the Telegram messaging app. Durov’s detention has been extended beyond Sunday night at the request of the investigating magistrate. The Russian tech entrepreneur holds citizenship in France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Durov, who is 39 years old, was initially detained for a period limited to 96 hours for initial interrogation; however, this can be extended to 144 hours for serious offences such as drug trafficking and terrorism. During the detention phase, the judge must either press charges and remand in further custody or release the detainee.
An official source cited by AFP revealed that the arrest warrant was issued by France’s OFMIN (Office Central de Lutte contre les Atteintes à l’Intégrité des Personnes), which is responsible for combating violence against minors, to conduct a preliminary probe into alleged fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promotion of terrorism.
Investigators from the national anti-fraud police and the cybersecurity gendarmerie unit are reportedly leading the investigation, according to unnamed sources cited by Reuters. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that a press release regarding the case will be issued later on Monday.
French media had previously reported that Durov was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday in connection with alleged offences related to Telegram. These reports suggested that French authorities believe he is complicit in a range of crimes committed via the social media app due to insufficient moderation.
Telegram, which boasts approximately 1 billion active monthly users, was created by Durov and his brother in 2013 in Russia. The entrepreneur left Russia in the mid-2010s and settled in Dubai, where he was granted French citizenship in 2021.
In response to Durov’s arrest, Telegram issued a statement asserting that the platform “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards,” adding that claims that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse committed by users are “absurd.