Pavel Durov Detained at French Airport: Details and Reactions
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was reportedly detained at a French airport after arriving by private jet from Azerbaijan.
Durov, who left Russia to live in the United Arab Emirates following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, was detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. According to French television network TF1, the reason for his detention is unclear, but there are claims of an arrest warrant for him in France.
The private jet carrying Durov, whose net worth is estimated to be around $15 billion, allegedly departed from Azerbaijan.
STATEMENT FROM THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
The Russian Foreign Ministry is seeking to clarify the circumstances surrounding Durov’s detention in France. The Russian Embassy in Paris informed the Russian news agency TASS that Durov’s representatives have not yet contacted the embassy.
The statement added that Russian diplomats are actively working to clarify the situation and have taken necessary steps regarding the issue. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova recalled the Western civil society’s reaction to Russia’s blocking of Telegram in 2018, questioning whether similar calls for Durov’s release would be made to Paris.
Meanwhile, Russian MP Vladislav Davankov urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to address the situation, suggesting that Durov’s detention could be politically motivated. Davankov also expressed concerns about the potential risk to Telegram users’ personal information if Durov were arrested, and called on the Russian Foreign Ministry to request his release from French authorities.
Reports in both Russian and French media suggest that Durov was detained for allegedly providing access to illegal content on Telegram.
WHO IS PAVEL DUROV?
Pavel Durov, who also founded Russia’s popular social media platform VK, left Russia in 2014. He holds citizenship in France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and St. Kitts and Nevis, and has an estimated fortune of around $15 billion. Telegram, one of the world’s leading instant messaging and social media applications, boasts 900 million monthly active users.
