France extends detention of Telegram boss

News agencyAFPCiting private sources, French judicial authorities have decided to extend the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov to serve the investigation of allegations against Mr. Durov.

On August 24, French police arrested Mr. Durov, a businessman with dual Russian-French citizenship, shortly after the Telegram CEO arrived in France.

The Telegram CEO’s initial detention period for questioning was four days, which was later extended to six days due to serious charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism. During the detention period, the judiciary must bring new charges, otherwise the suspect will be released on bail after the detention period expires.

Also according to the source ofAFPThe arrest warrant for Mr. Durov was issued by OFMIN, part of the French national judicial police, on a series of charges related to fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and terrorism.

To be continuedReuters, a French cybersecurity and anti-fraud police unit, is leading the investigation into Mr. Durov.

French media previously reported that Durov was detained at Paris-Le Bourget airport last weekend on charges related to the social network Telegram. Reports said the Telegram CEO was responsible for a series of crimes allegedly committed through the social media app due to lack of moderation.

Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion monthly active users, was founded in 2013 in Russia by CEO Durov and his brother. The entrepreneur also holds citizenship in the UAE and St. Kitts and Nevis and is based in Dubai. Mr. Durov was granted French citizenship in 2021.

In a statement released on the Telegram News channel on August 26, Telegram affirmed:"Telegram fully complies with European Union (EU) regulations, including the Digital Services Act (DSA). Our moderation processes follow industry standards and are constantly being improved. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov travels frequently to Europe and has nothing to hide."

"With nearly a billion users worldwide, Telegram is an important communication tool and source of information. We hope this situation will be resolved quickly.", Telegram's announcement stated.

ForbesMr. Durov is estimated to be worth $15.5 billion. Telegram currently has 900 million active users. Mr. Durov has said that some governments have tried to pressure him, but that the Telegram app should remain a “neutral platform” and not a “power in geopolitics.”