French authorities have extended the detention period for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
reports with reference to AFP.
“French judicial authorities on Sunday extended the detention of Russian-born Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov after his arrest at a Paris airport for alleged crimes related to the popular but controversial messaging app,”
– aFP reported.
Under French law, a suspect in a crime can be held without charge for up to 96 hours, and the detention period can be extended only once.
Thus, Durov must be formally charged and appear in court by Wednesday evening. Otherwise, he must be released by then.
Durov was detained on 24 August in the evening when his private jet arrived in Paris from Azerbaijan. the 39-year-old Durov was accompanied by his bodyguard and an unnamed woman. The warrant for his detention was issued by the French judicial police on the basis of a preliminary investigation. Durov is accused of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children and fraud due to the lack of moderation on Telegram.
Pavel Durov
Pavel Durov is a Russian programmer and entrepreneur born on 10 October 1984 in Leningrad. He is the creator of the social network VKontakte and the Telegram messenger. Durov graduated from the Faculty of Philology at St. Petersburg State University, where he also received training in propaganda and psychological warfare at the military department.
In 2006, Durov launched VKontakte, which became the most popular social network in Russia. In 2014, he resigned as CEO of VKontakte and left the country, claiming that it was impossible to run an online business there. Durov is a libertarian and vegetarian, known for his unconventional views on life and business.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in a nutshell
As of 2021, Durov’s net worth was estimated at $17.2 billion, making him the eighth richest Russian. He holds citizenship in several countries, including France and the UAE. on 24 August 2024, Durov was detained in France on suspicion of complicity in crimes due to insufficient moderation of Telegram. He faces up to 20 years in prison, and the case will be heard by a French court.
Telegram and its role in the Russian-Ukrainian war
Telegram is a multi-platform messenger that provides messaging and file sharing, video calling, and optional end-to-end encrypted chats known as “secret chats”. The messenger was developed by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, and the first release took place in 2013. Telegram is registered in the British Virgin Islands and is headquartered in Dubai.
The messenger plays an important role in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It has become a platform for disseminating information, coordinating actions, and conducting information operations on both sides of the conflict. The Ukrainian military and activists use Telegram to disseminate operational information, raise funds, and maintain the morale of the population.
On the other hand, Russian special services can use Telegram to monitor and analyse the actions of Ukrainian users. It is known that the ability to obtain information about users through the platform’s API creates potential security risks, making Telegram both an important tool and a possible threat.
Pavel Durov is known for his tough stance on refusing to cooperate with governments in providing access to encrypted user data. He has repeatedly stated that he will not hand over his encryption keys to any authorities, which has drawn criticism from some governments and organisations. This stance allows Telegram to remain one of the most secure messengers, but at the same time creates challenges for law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime.