Russian support for Telegram's Durov amid serious French charges

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that allegations against the founder of the Telegram messenger, Russian Pavel Durov, from France, require substantial evidence. He added that Russia is ready to provide the billionaire with the necessary support.

- The charges are indeed very serious - Peskov told journalists. He added that the accusations "require no less serious evidentiary base."

Otherwise, it will be a direct attempt to limit communication freedom - he stated.

Russia has unsuccessfully tried to block access to Telegram and has imposed fines on the company several times for not removing content that Moscow deemed illegal - reminded Reuters.

Peskov noted that Russia is ready to provide Durov with the necessary support because he is a Russian citizen. However, he admitted that the situation is complicated because Durov is also a French citizen. The founder of Telegram additionally has a passport from the United Arab Emirates.

The Kremlin spokesman said that Durov's case could be considered an attempt to intimidate the head of a large enterprise and questioned French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that the Russian's detention did not result from a "political decision," reported Reuters.

Durov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport in Paris at 9:00 GMT. On Monday, his arrest was extended until Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Russian, who flew directly to Paris from Azerbaijan, was wanted by the French judiciary for not cooperating with law enforcement authorities in connection with the operation of the messenger he created, which criminals used.

Durov may face charges related to terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and distributing indecent content involving children.