PARIS: Relations between Moscow and Paris have reached a new low following the arrest of Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Tuesday that Durov’s detention, which has been extended until Wednesday, has significantly strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Durov, who holds both French and Russian citizenship, was arrested near Paris over the weekend as part of an investigation into child sex abuse images, drug trafficking, and fraudulent transactions on the Telegram platform, according to French prosecutors.
It is unclear whether Durov was aware of the potential arrest in France. His French lawyer has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Lavrov stated that Durov’s arrest has brought Moscow-Paris relations to their lowest point, following months of worsening relations. French authorities have accused Russia of attempting to destabilize France ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its stance on the Ukraine war—accusations that Russia has denied.
On Monday, Durov’s detention was extended by an additional 48 hours, according to a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors will need to decide whether to charge or release him after this period. If charges are filed, French law requires judges to consider Durov’s flight risk when deciding on pretrial detention.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is prepared to offer Durov all necessary assistance due to his Russian citizenship, though his French citizenship complicates the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport.
“The charges are very serious,” Peskov remarked. “They require substantial evidence; otherwise, they would be an attempt to restrict freedom of communication.”
Durov’s arrest has ignited a debate on the limits of free speech online. X owner Elon Musk has claimed that the right to expression in Europe is under threat. The arrest also highlights a global trend toward stricter regulation of illegal activities on digital platforms.
In 2022, Brazil’s supreme court briefly suspended Telegram nationwide for failing to comply with judicial orders.
Telegram, which boasts nearly 1 billion users, is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet republics. While it promotes itself as a bastion of free speech, the platform is also popular among far-right, anti-vaccine, and conspiracist groups, as well as political dissidents. It plays a crucial role in battlefield communications in the Ukraine war, serving both sides for news and propaganda.
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s State Duma, has claimed without evidence that the United States, through France, is attempting to control Telegram. He suggested that with the upcoming U.S. presidential election, President Joe Biden seeks to exert control over the platform.
The White House has not yet commented on Durov’s arrest. French President Emmanuel Macron, an avid Telegram user, has stated that the arrest was “in no way a political decision.”
Russia has previously attempted to block Telegram and imposed fines for failing to remove content deemed illegal.
