Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested on Saturday evening at Le Bourget Airport near Paris after French investigators issued a search warrant in connection with several crimes related to his encrypted messaging service. This was reported by Reuters and France Presse, citing sources close to the case.
The 39-year-old Franco-Russian billionaire was detained between 7:30 and 8:00 PM in the airport terminal upon his arrival from Baku, Azerbaijan. According to sources, Durov had planned to spend the evening in Paris and dine in the city.
Durov’s arrest has caused a significant stir among investigators, who were surprised by his decision to travel to France, knowing that he was wanted. Durov is expected to appear in court on Sunday.
The search warrant was issued by OFMINE, an organization that combats violence against minors. Durov is suspected of failing to cooperate with authorities and inadequately moderating content on the Telegram platform, allowing it to be used for criminal activities, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, and organized crime.
“Telegram’s impunity is over,” said one of the investigators, expressing astonishment that Durov chose to visit Paris, possibly due to a sense of invulnerability.
Born in Saint Petersburg, Pavel Durov holds citizenship in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. He co-founded the social network VKontakte and the messaging service Telegram. Durov left Russia in 2014 and is currently ranked eighth on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest Russians, with a net worth of $15.5 billion.
Telegram, launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, is known for its high level of data protection and positions itself against American companies that exploit personal user data. Telegram is committed to never disclosing user information.
In a rare interview given last April in Dubai, Durov shared how he came up with the idea of launching an encrypted messaging service after facing significant pressure from Russian authorities while running VKontakte. Following this, he attempted to settle in various cities, including Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco, but ultimately chose Dubai for its favorable business environment.
Today, Telegram has over 900 million users and is expected to reach one billion active users within a year. The platform has often been criticized for enabling the spread of fake news, hate speech, and extremist content, as it allows the creation of large groups of up to 200,000 people.
