Telegram founder Pavel Durov detained in Paris over crime ties
A Paris court has extended the detention of Telegram messenger founder Pavel Durov. "Enough of Telegram's impunity" AFP agency quoted one of the French investigators. He expressed surprise that the billionaire decided to come to Paris knowing he was wanted in France. The Russian was detained on Saturday evening at Le Bourget Airport.
According to French law, detention can be extended to 4 days, and then Durov can either be released or brought before a court to be charged.
A 39-year-old Russian with a French passport, who flew directly to Paris from Azerbaijan, was wanted by French justice for lack of cooperation with law enforcement in connection with the operation of his messaging service, used by criminals.
The Paris prosecutor's office refused on Sunday to provide any information "at the current stage concerning the procedure applied during the investigation".
Enough of Telegram's impunity - AFP quoted one of the French investigators, who expressed surprise that the billionaire, knowing he was wanted in France, still decided to come to Paris. There cannot be a sense of impunity, he added.
Durov may face charges related to a series of crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and dissemination of paedophile content.
"The Russian Mark Zuckerberg". How did he get rich?
According to French media, Durov's arrest is, among other things, meant to send a signal to criminals operating on Telegram and to put pressure on European countries to fight against encrypted messages in the context of terrorist threats.
Pavel Durov, born in 1984, is a Russian entrepreneur and one of the wealthiest Russian oligarchs. According to the Forbes list from 2021, he ranked 9th among the richest billionaires in Russia, with a fortune estimated at £13 billion.
However, he made his fortune not in oil or gas extraction companies but in social media, which is why he is called "the Russian Mark Zuckerberg".
He started his career in 2006 when, at 22, he founded VKontakte. He managed the service along with his brother Nikolai, and their value quickly grew to £2.3 billion. He founded the Telegram application in 2013. The messenger is based on encryption technology developed by Nikolai Durov, ensuring users complete privacy and security.
