Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Is Still Detained by French Authorities

Key Points:

• French authorities have extended the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov following his arrest over allegations including fraud, drug trafficking, and terrorism promotion.
• French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that Durov’s detention is part of a judicial inquiry, not a political action.
• The arrest has prompted reactions from free speech advocates, including Elon Musk, who voiced support for Durov.

In Paris, French authorities abruptly detained the 39-year-old Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, the founder of the messenger app Telegram.

Read more: Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Is Supported by the Crypto Community

Telegram Founder Pavel Durov’s Detention Extended by French Authorities

An intermediary to the inquiry hinted that judicial authorities were continuing with investigations on the allegations made against him. Telegram founder Pavel Durov was initially sighted at the Le Bourget airport then apprehended on that particular charge. The detention may reach 96 hours, but after this period, a judge will hence decide on whether to release Durov or incriminate him.

The probe reportedly is expected to consider accusations of money laundering, drug dealing, group crime, advocating terrorism, and cyberbullying linked to Telegram, but French President Emmanuel Macron has defended the arrest as being within the ambit of furthering a judicial investigation and not targeting political ends.

“It is up to the justice system, in complete independence, to ensure that the law is respected,” Macron added.

Criminal Accusations Put Telegram in the Limelight

Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s arrest has alarmed many free speech advocates, including the tech leader Elon Musk, who announced his support by typing #FreePavel on his social media site, X.

After the arrest, Telegram commented that it complies with all rules of the European Union, and it’s not fair to blame the platform or its founder for how users misuse it. Telegram was launched in the year 2013, now it is being used by close to a billion people. It became like a lifeline for countries like Ukraine and during emergencies, such as the Israel-Hamas conflict.