Pavel Durov, Founder and CEO of Telegram
Manuel Blondeau – Corbis | Corbis News | Getty Images
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested Saturday night at an airport near Paris and taken into custody for alleged crimes related to the messaging app, according to French media reports.
The 39-year-old Russian billionaire has reportedly been accused of failing to mitigate the criminal misuse of his platform.
France’s OFMIN, the body responsible for protecting minors from violence, has issued an arrest warrant for Durov, who is accused of organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberbullying and promoting terrorism on his platform, AFP news agency reported, citing a source.
The messaging app, which has around 800 million users, is popular in Russia as well as Ukraine.
Following news of Durov’s arrest, the Russian embassy in France said it had “immediately asked the French authorities for clarification on the reasons for the arrest and demanded that his rights be protected and that consular authorities be allowed to visit him.” The Telegram message said embassy officials had been in contact with Durov’s lawyer.
Here’s everything you need to know about Durov:
- In an interview with American commentator Tucker Carlson this year, Durov explained that he prioritizes freedom – freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the free market – whether in his decision to leave VK more than a decade ago or in his personal life, freedom comes first.
- He founded Telegram in 2013, pitching it as a neutral, uncensored platform accessible to people from all backgrounds and viewpoints.
