Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French police at Le Bourget airport near Paris. He was traveling from Azerbaijan in his private jet when he was taken into custody around 8 p.m. local time.
The arrest was made due to a warrant issued for offenses linked to his popular messaging app, Telegram. French authorities are investigating Durov for allegedly failing to prevent criminal activities on the platform. The charges include fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and promoting terrorism.
France’s OFMIN, an agency that works to prevent violence against minors, is leading the investigation. They were surprised Durov came to Paris, knowing he was wanted. Telegram is one of the world’s major social media platforms, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and others. Durov, who is 39 years old, founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition groups on his earlier platform, VK.
The Russian Embassy in Paris accused French authorities of not cooperating after Durov’s arrest. They demanded an explanation for his detention and asked for consular access to him, which France has not yet granted. Telegram is widely used in Russia, including by government officials.
