Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov
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Russia on Tuesday issued phrases of warning to France over its detainment of Pavel Durov, the CEO and founding father of messaging app Telegram, suggesting the transfer could also be politically motivated.
On Saturday, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Workplace issued a warrant for Durov’s arrest over an investigation opened on July 8 into organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and the distribution of pornographic photographs of minors on the platform.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a Tuesday name with journalists urged Paris to supply proof to help its allegations towards Durov, Reuters and Russian state information company TASS reported.
“The fees are very severe certainly,” Peskov informed reporters, in line with Reuters-translated feedback. “They require a no much less severe foundation of proof. In any other case they are going to be a direct try to restrict freedom of communication.”
Peskov prompt that Durov’s arrest may very well be seen as each proscribing freedom of speech and an act of intimidation if France fails to supply severe proof of his guilt, Reuters and TASS reported.
Though born in Russia, Durov holds citizenship of France and the UAE. Peskov indicated that Russia nonetheless considers him a citizen, nonetheless, and that the nation stands able to help him with obligatory help — though Peskov admitted the state of affairs was advanced.
On Tuesday, the UAE stated in an announcement it had submitted a request to French officers providing Durov diplomatic help “in an pressing method,” and was “carefully following the case.”
Durov, 39, is considered one of Russia’s most distinguished know-how billionaires. He based Telegram in 2013, advertising and marketing it as an uncensored and impartial platform, accessible to folks from all walks of life and views.
Durov is estimated to have a internet value of about $15.5 billion, in line with Forbes, making him the world’s 121st wealthiest particular person.
Russia blocked entry to Telegram in 2018 and has fined the corporate a number of instances for failing to delete allegedly unlawful content material. In 2020, entry to Telegram was restored in Russia, sparking hypothesis that Telegram might have ties to the Russian authorities — one thing that Telegram has denied.
The social media app, which counts 800 million customers globally, is extensively utilized in Russia, in addition to in Ukraine. The app is utilized by authorities officers and the army on each side of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Earlier than he landed at France’s Le Bourget airport on his non-public jet, Durov had visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in line with a number of media retailers. CNBC was not in a position to independently affirm this.
There had been hypothesis that he was as a result of meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, nonetheless Peskov informed the BBC {that a} assembly by no means befell.
Russia’s warnings to France come as relations between the 2 nations stay bitter amid Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In April, Macron — a key supporter of Ukraine amongst Western leaders — stated there was a “danger our Europe might die” if it does not make reforms to assist it defend Ukraine.
“The principal hazard for European safety is the conflict in Ukraine,” Macron stated throughout a speech on the time.
– CNBC’s Ying Shan Lee and Natasha Turak contributed to this report
