Pavel Durov Arrested: Russia Says France 'Refusing To Cooperate' After Telegram CEO Held At Airport

Pavel Durov Arrested: The Russian embassy in Paris on Sunday accused French authorities of “refusing to cooperate” after the arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app. The 39-year-old tech icon, who has Russian and other nationalities, was detained at Paris Le Bourget airport on Saturday and was expected to appear in court on Sunday. Durov was wanted by French authorities in an arrest warrant on the charges of lack of moderation on Telegram, which allegedly led to the platform being used for money laundering, drug trafficking and sharing pedophilic content.

"We immediately asked French authorities to explain the reasons for this detention and demanded that his rights be protected and that consular access be granted. Up to now, the French side is refusing to cooperate on this question,” the embassy said in a statement reported by Ria Novosti news agency.

According to CNN, he had not regularly travelled to France and Europe since the arrest warrant was issued.

READ MORE: Israel-Lebanon War: What Triggered Missile Exchange As Hezbollah Sets Out To Avenge Commander Fuad Shukr's Killing

Crime Against Children, Drug Trafficking Among Charges

French authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, accusing him of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud. The charges stem from Telegram's lack of content moderation and Durov's refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, as reported by The Moscow Times, citing local French media. Durov, originally from Russia and now residing in Dubai, became a naturalised French citizen in August 2021.

READ MORE: Solingen Knife Attack: German Police Arrest Suspect After Islamic State Claims Responsibility

Durov also founded the VKontakte social network and left Russia in 2014 after declining to hand over user data to Russian security services. In response, Russia attempted to block Telegram, though it failed to do so, due to the platform's refusal to share users' online communications. Telegram, which Durov claims has over 900 million users, is popular among Russian speakers and serves as a crucial platform for sharing information about the war in Ukraine. It is also reportedly used by the Russian military for communication.