Popular social app without censorship creator P. Durov faces charges

Pavel Durov, Russian billionaire Telegram CEO, arrested in France

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested by French law enforcement officials on Saturday evening when he was questioned and detained after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport in north-eastern Paris.

Durov, 39, a billionaire, was reportedly detained by local officials when he got off the plane at around 20:00. The French TV channel TF1 was the first to report the incident, pointing out that Durov was on the FPR (Most Wanted List) and had come from Azerbaijan.

Pavel Durov was born in 1984 in St Petersburg, Russia (then Leningrad, Soviet Union). He is widely known as the creator of the Telegram messaging application and the former founder of the VKontakte social network.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to cooperate with the Russian authorities and hand over user data and has been living abroad ever since. He has become one of the most prominent tech entrepreneurs advocating for online freedom and an independent digital space. Most recently, he has been living in Dubai, where Telegram's head office is located.

Criminal allegations and charges against Durov

French law enforcement has reportedly issued a warrant for Durov's arrest for his alleged failure to cooperate with law enforcement. Durov's inaction could have led to allegations of complicity in drug trafficking, terrorism, and other serious criminal offenses.

"Tonight he made a mistake. We don't know why..." - a source close to the investigation told TF1-LCI.

Durov is said to have avoided traveling to Europe, especially to countries where Telegram was closely monitored and mainly visited the United Arab Emirates and South American countries.

Durov was arrested and notified of the allegations by the French Customs Department's Office of National Fraud (ONAF).

Durov is due to be brought before a pre-trial judge shortly, who may charge him with complicity in terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and distribution of child pornography.

"P. Durov will definitely end up in a pre-trial detention center. He has allowed countless violations and crimes on his platform, which he has done nothing to prevent," said a source close to the case.

Telegram platform accused of distributing illegal content and evading censorship

The Telegram platform is often accused of allowing the distribution of criminal content, including child pornography.

French investigators point out that Telegram has become a platform where criminal organizations can easily share illegal content, including child pornography, terrorist propaganda, and other illegal activities.

"Telegram is a hive of criminal content. The platform is now in the spotlight for illegal match broadcasts, but many of its accounts are used by organized crime," the researcher said.

But Telegram has also become a haven for those who want to express themselves freely despite strict censorship on other platforms.

The platform has allowed the publication of content that has been censored on other social networking sites, including information on the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinations, and often government errors and corruption.

This has caused a lot of controversy and headaches for various authorities, as Telegram has become an important venue for disseminating alternative views.

Durov faces a long prison sentence and confiscation of assets

French law enforcement authorities have already searched Durov's property and are seeking access to his correspondence relating to criminal organizations and sanctioned individuals.

Law enforcement authorities claim that Durov, whose assets are valued at more than €15.5 billion, has been arrested by the police. He has many opportunities to escape, so his defense guarantees are unlikely to convince judges.

According to TF1, if the charges are confirmed, the Telegram founder could face up to 20 years in prison in France.

Pavel Durov has publicly reacted to his arrest by denying any charges.

"My detention is an unjust and politically motivated act," Durov said on his social networks.

"I am confident that justice will be restored," he added.

Tucker Carlson, a prominent journalist who worked for years for FoxNews and was perhaps the only one who dared to interview Putin and show him to the West, wrote in response to Durov's arrest:

"Pavel Durov left Russia after the government took control of his social media platform. But in the end, it was not Putin who arrested Durov for allowing the public to exercise freedom of speech. Durov was put in jail by a Western country - an ally of the Biden administration and a NATO member.

Telegram recently celebrated its 11th birthday and Durov shared a message

Telegram recently turned 11 years old on 14 August. To mark the occasion, Pavel Durov shared a message on his official Telegram channel expressing his views on freedom and continuous improvement.

"When I turned 11 in 1995, I promised myself to become smarter, stronger and freer every day. Today, Telegram turns 11, and she is ready to make the same commitment. Every day Telegram must become:

✨ 🧠 Smarter (more features for people)

✨ 💪 Stronger (more popularity among users)

✨ ✈️ freer (more independent and autonomous).

🎂 Happy Birthday, Telegram!"

For the time being, Durov remains in custody while law enforcement authorities continue their investigation, which could have far-reaching consequences for both his career and the global social media community.