Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France

French police arrested Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday.

Durov was arrested on a warrant for offenses related to the popular messaging app, the AFP news agency reported, citing unnamed officials.

According to French broadcaster TF1, Durov was traveling aboard his private jet from Azerbaijan and was arrested around 8 p.m. local time (1800 GMT).

Durov's detention was extended by the investigating magistrate on Sunday evening, the French AFP news agency cited a source as saying.

French law limits the initial period of detention for questioning at 96-hours, though this can be extended — or an extension refused — by a judge.

Why is Durov being investigated?

Durov is suspected of failing to take measures to curb the use of his platform for criminal purposes.

France's OFMIN, an agency tasked with preventing violence against minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged offenses including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and the promotion of terrorism, one of the sources close to the case said.

"Enough of Telegram's impunity," said one of the investigators. He added that they were surprised that Durov came to Paris, knowing that he was a wanted man.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is one of the most important social media platforms in the world after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat. It currently has the aim of reaching one billion active users by next year.

The Russian-born Durov, 39, reportedly holds French citizenship. He founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform, VK, which he subsequently sold.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the main source of unfiltered, sometimes graphic and misleading content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict.

Telegram calls arrest 'absurd'

The messaging service itself released a statement later on Sunday saying Telegram, "abides by EU law," and that the company's owner "has nothing to hide,"

"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving," read a statement.

"Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform."

"We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation," the statement continued,"Telegram is with you all."

How is Russia reacting to Durov's arrest?

The Russian Embassy in Paris on Sunday accused French authorities of "refusing to cooperate" after Durov's arrest. 

"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.

The messaging app is one of the most important online networks in Russia. Many authorities and politicians use it for communication.

js,dh/ab (AFP, dpa, Reuters)