French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilise it ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – claims Russia has denied [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Relations between Moscow and Paris have reached a nadir following the arrest of Russian-born Telegram boss Pavel Durov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, after the tech billionaire’s detention was extended until Wednesday.

Durov, who has French as well as Russian nationality, was arrested near Paris over the weekend as part of an investigation into crimes related to images of child sex abuse, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.

It remains unclear if he knew about the threat of arrest in France. Durov’s French lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Durov’s arrest has plunged Moscow-Paris ties to their lowest level, Lavrov said on Tuesday, capping months of deteriorating relations between the two nations.

French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilise it ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – claims Russia has denied.

Durov’s detention was extended by 48 hours late on Monday, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. After that, prosecutors will either need to charge or release him. Should he face charges, his flight risk status is a factor judges have to include in their assessment of possible pretrial detention, according to French law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but that his French citizenship complicated the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport.

“The charges are very serious indeed,” said Peskov. “They require a no less serious basis of evidence. Otherwise they will be a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”

Free speech debate

Durov’s arrest has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech online, with X-owner Elon Musk saying the right to expression in Europe was under attack. It also underlines a movement by governments around the world to take a tougher line on policing illegal activity that flourishes on some platforms.

Brazil’s supreme court briefly suspended Telegram nationwide in 2022 over its failure to comply with judicial orders.

With close to 1 billion users, Telegram is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. It presents itself as a haven for free speech, but is also widely used by far-right, anti-vax and conspiracist movements, as well as political dissidents.

The platform has become crucial to battlefield communications in the war in Ukraine and is used by governments and soldiers on both sides of the war to share war-related news and propaganda.

Without providing evidence, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, earlier said the United States, through France, was attempting to exert control over Telegram.

“Telegram is one of the few and at the same time the largest Internet platforms over which the United States has no influence,” Volodin said in a post.

“On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, it is important for (President Joe) Biden to take Telegram under control.”

The White House has yet to comment on Durov’s arrest.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is known to be an avid user of the app, has said that the arrest was “in no way a political decision”.

Russia has previously tried, and failed, to block Telegram and fined the company several times for failing to delete what it deemed illegal content.

X owner Elon Musk, pictured above, called on Pavel Durov to be freed [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

After Telegram CEO and billionaire Pavel Durov was arrested in a French airport on Saturday (August 24, 2024), tech leaders and influencers across the political spectrum reacted with anger, accusing the French government of censorship and threatening free speech rights.

Telegram Messenger posted a statement on X in response to Durov’s arrest. The company said that it was in compliance with Europe’s Digital Services Act and that CEO Durov had nothing to hide.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” posted Telegram on X on August 26, adding, “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information.”

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The company said it was waiting for a prompt resolution and assured users it was on their side.

Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk, though he did not issue a formal statement against the arrest of Durov, has interacted with several posts on X criticising France and its governance.

He also posted the hashtag “Free Pavel” on X, with a video excerpt from a 2024 interview of Durov. In response to another user who posted “FRANCE IS FOR CRIME, AGAINST FREEDOM,” Musk posted “Well said.”

Meanwhile, privacy advocate and whistleblower Edward Snowden condemned the arrest and named France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

“The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world,” Snowden posted on X on August 25.

He also shared other people’s X messages condemning France’s treatment of Durov, and criticised those who did not speak up against the censorship of both TikTok and Telegram.

Podcast host Lex Fridman too criticised the French government’s move.

“Arrest of Pavel Durov is a disturbing attack on free speech and a threat not just to Telegram but to any online platform. Governments should not engage in censorship. This is a blatant and deeply troubling overreach of power,” he posted on X on August 26.

Rumble Video CEO Chris Pavlovski claimed that his video platform was similarly threatened by France and that he had left Europe. He claimed that Durov was arrested “reportedly for not censoring speech.”

“Rumble will not stand for this behavior and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov’s immediate release,” posted Pavlovski on X.

The Russian Embassy in France has taken note of the arrest and posted on Facebook that it was working to protect Durov’s rights and understand what has taken place, reported BBC.

There are ongoing concerns that Telegram was used as a communications base by white supremacists, those spreading illegal media, and other criminals, without being adequately moderated or reported.

However, Telegram Messenger stressed that its moderation was within industry standards and that it was constantly improving.