Mon 26 August 2024:

France extended the detention of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

Durov was arrested around 8 p.m. (1800GMT) on Saturday as he alighted from his private jet at Bourget Airport in Paris, according to French media outlets.

The 39-year-old Franco-Russian, who was listed as a wanted person in France, had just arrived from Azerbaijan.

The French judicial authorities decided late Sunday to extend his custody, which is limited to 96 hours, the weekly Le Point reported.

At the end of his detention, Durov must be released or brought before a judge for possible indictment.

After conducting a preliminary investigation, the French National Judicial Police issued his search warrant.

The investigation focused on Telegram’s lack of moderation, which police believed enabled criminal activity to continue undeterred on the messaging app.

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Not a political decision

The arrest of the billionaire Telegram founder on French soil was not a political decision, the country’s president has said.

He has been arrested and detained as part of a cyber criminality investigation – concerning crimes related to illicit transactions, child sexual abuse images and fraud – the Paris prosecutor has said.

In his first public comment on the matter, President Emmanuel Macron said his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.

He denounced “false information” about Durov’s arrest: “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”

I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.

France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.

In a state governed by the rule of law,…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 26, 2024

Russian government officials have expressed outrage at Durov’s arrest, with some calling it politically driven and saying it showed the West’s double standards on freedom of speech.

But this outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics – in 2018, Russian authorities tried to block Telegram themselves, but failed and eventually withdrew the ban in 2020.

In a statement posted on its platform, Telegram said it has nothing to hide, as it abides by EU laws including the digital services act, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram’s post said.

“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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