Kremlin denies meeting between Russian president, Telegram founder in Baku

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not meet with Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messenger, during his recent visit to Baku, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. 

In response to inquiries, Peskov confirmed to reporters that no such meeting took place, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

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.

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.