France detains Telegram founder after arrival from Azerbaijan

Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov was detained on August 24 evening at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. 

The 39-year-old entrepreneur was accompanied by his bodyguard and a woman, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Durov had been placed on a federal wanted list. He had arrived in France from Azerbaijan. A search warrant was issued for Durov by the French National Judicial Police based on a preliminary investigation.

French authorities accuse Durov of involvement in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud, linking these allegations to the lack of moderation on Telegram. The entrepreneur has reportedly been taken into custody. A source indicated that Durov’s arrest was inevitable.

"Numerous offences and crimes have been committed on his platform, and he has taken no action to prevent them or cooperate with law enforcement bodies," the source said. Durov acquired French citizenship in August 2021.

Earlier, in February of the same year, he became a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, where he has lived since 2017. In total, Durov holds citizenship in four countries: Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, France, and the UAE. The arrest warrant for Durov was only valid within French territory.

The source claimed that the businessman was aware he was considered "persona non grata" in the country. "Today he made a mistake. We don't know the reasons," the source noted. French authorities might use Durov's arrest to pressure other European countries into taking stronger action against encrypted messaging services, which are also used by terrorists.