PARIS, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Russian-born Pavel Durov of messaging app Telegram has been arrested as part of an ongoing judicial investigation in France and has no political motive, French President Macron said on Monday.
Macron’s statement about X was the first official confirmation of Durov’s arrest, nearly two days after he was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet from Azerbaijan.
The lack of official confirmation has led to speculation about the reasons behind his detention. Macron said he had read “false information here about France following the arrest of Pavel Durov,” adding that France is deeply committed to freedom of speech.
“The arrest of the head of Telegram on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation,” Macron wrote. “This is not a political decision by any means. It is for the judges to decide.”
Durov was being investigated by the National Cyber Crime and Fraud Office for failing to cooperate in cyber and financial crimes on Telegram, a popular messaging and social media app similar to WhatsApp, a police spokesman told Reuters. He is still in custody, a spokesman said.
Reuters could not speak to any of the lawyers representing him.
Duro’s arrest sparked criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said free speech in Europe was under attack, and calls from Moscow to surrender Duro’s rights to French authorities.
Tensions between France and Russia have been rising for months, with French officials accusing it of trying to destabilize Russia ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – something Russia denies.
The 39-year-old billionaire Durov, who plays the role of “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”, holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates. Estimated by Forbes to have $15.5 billion in assets, Durov said in April that some governments had tried to pressure him, but the app was supposed to be a neutral platform and not a “player in geopolitics.”
Telegram did not provide any details about the arrest, but said the Dubai-based company complies with EU laws and that its moderation is “within industry standards and continues to improve.”
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” Telegram said in a statement. “To claim that a site or its owner is responsible for misuse of that site is absurd.”
Asked about his arrest, the Kremlin on Monday said it had not seen any official French charges against Durov.
“We still don’t know what Durov is accused of,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news conference.
“They are trying to blame Durov precisely? (Not knowing), it would be wrong to make any statement,” Peskov said.
At the Russian Embassy X in Paris, French officials declined to cooperate with requests for consular access, but said it had been in contact with Dureau’s lawyer. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
French citizen
Telegram was founded by Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 after he sold his VK social media platform after he refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities.
The encrypted app has more than 1 billion users and is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine, and republics of the former Soviet Union. Durov, who was born in Soviet Leningrad and graduated from St. Petersburg State University, lists his political views as “libertarian.”
He received his French passport in 2021 through a special procedure for high-ranking foreigners, exempting them from the usual legal requirements, including living in the country for at least five years.
The French foreign ministry, which is responsible for the procedure, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Élysée President’s office also declined to comment, deferring to the Foreign Ministry.
According to French law, any foreigner who speaks French and “contributes through his outstanding work to the influence of France and the prosperity of its international economic relations” can be granted citizenship under special rules.
Durov never lived in France, and it is not clear what special connection he had to the country. On June 10, Durov posted on his Telegram channel: “As a French citizen, I agree that France is a great vacation destination.”
His citizenship process is rare, with only 10-20 cases processed each year, each requiring high-level political support, local media reported.
Russian state media reported that Durov also held citizenship of Russia and St. Kitts and Nevis. Reuters could not verify those reports.
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Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Elizabeth Pino and Gabriel Stargarder in Paris and Guy Falconbridge in Moscow; By Guy Falconbridge; Editing by Lincoln Feist, Alison Williams and Andrew Havens
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
