PARIS >> Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, has been arrested in France as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraud on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly confirmed Durov's arrest for the first time since he was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, saying there was no political motivation for the arrest despite many false comments online, adding that France was deeply committed to lawful freedom of speech.
“The arrest of the president of Telegram on French territory was carried out as part of an ongoing judicial investigation,” Macron wrote on X. “This is by no means a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”
In a later statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Vecuot said Durov was arrested as part of an investigation into an unnamed individual launched by the prosecutor's cybercrime unit on July 8.
According to the statement, the investigation is based on suspicion of complicity in a range of crimes, including operating an online platform enabling illegal trading, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, refusing to provide information to authorities, money laundering and providing encryption services to criminals.
Durov could remain in custody until Wednesday, it added.
Reuters was unable to contact Durov's lawyer.
Telegram is a popular messaging and social media app similar to WhatsApp. The encrypted application has nearly one billion users and is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet republics.
Durov's arrest has drawn criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said freedom of speech in Europe is under attack, and Moscow has called on French authorities to recognize Durov's rights.
Tensions between France and Russia have been rising for months, with French officials accusing Russia of trying to destabilize France ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its tough stance on the Ukraine war, an accusation Russia denies.
Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire who was cast as the “Russian Mark Zuckerberg,” has dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship.
In its initial comments, the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had asked France to “provide all urgently required consular services.”
Durov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion, responded to pressure from some governments by saying in April that the app should remain a neutral platform and not be an “actor of geopolitics.”
Telegram did not provide details about the arrest but said the Dubai-based company complies with European Union law and that its moderation is “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently to Europe,” Telegram said in a statement. “It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for misuse of its platform.”
The Kremlin said on Monday it had not yet received any formal complaints from France against Durov.
“We still don't know what specific charges Durov is being accused of,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference. “What exactly are they trying to incriminate Durov on? Any statements made without knowing this would probably be wrong.”
The Russian embassy in Paris told X-News that French authorities had not cooperated with a request for a consular visit but that it was in contact with Durov's lawyer. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
French national
Telegram was founded by Durov, a self-described libertarian who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on VK, a social media platform he sold.
He received a French passport in 2021 through a rare, fast-track procedure for high-profile foreigners who are exempt from normal legal requirements, such as having lived in France for at least five years.
The French foreign ministry, which is in charge of the process, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The presidential office of the Elysee Palace also declined to comment, referring the matter to the foreign ministry.
According to French law, any foreigner can be granted citizenship under special rules, provided he or she speaks French and “contributes through outstanding work to France's influence and the prosperity of its international economic relations.”
Durov has never lived in France, and it is unclear what special connection he had to the country. On June 10, Durov posted on his Telegram channel, “As a French citizen, I agree that France is the best holiday destination.”
His naturalization case is rare, with only 10 to 20 processed each year, according to local media reports, and each one requires high-level political backing.
Evan Spiegel, co-founder of Snap Inc., the maker of the Snapchat app, gained French citizenship through the same program in 2018, local media reported at the time. Snap did not respond to requests for comment.
Russian state media has reported that Durov holds French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, as well as Russian and St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship. Reuters could not verify the reports.
Additional reporting by Hatem Maher in Cairo.