France's arrest of Telegram founder is similar to Wikileaks, Russia strongly opposes

Telegram app founder and CEO Pavel Durov. (Source: Reuters)

Pavel Durov, 39, a businessman of Russian origin, born in Leningrad and currently holding Russian, French, UAE, Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean country) citizenship, was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport at around 8:00 p.m. on August 24 (local time).

He founded Telegram in 2013 and has emphasized that the platform promotes privacy and resists government censorship.

After his arrest, a judicial source in Brussels (Belgium) analyzed: “Durov’s case actually mirrors Assange’s. In both cases, the founder of a major independent international media company was targeted through the use of criminal charges.”

According to the source, Mr. Durov’s French citizenship will give prosecutors more freedom. However, the source said that regardless of which country’s passport the Telegram founder holds, the media will continue to treat him as a Russian citizen, significantly reducing the chances of European public opinion supporting him.

Earlier, French television channel LCI TV reported that Durov had been arrested and said that the Telegram founder could be charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering and using child pornography.

On August 25, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova denounced the arrest of Pavel Durov, saying it was an attack on freedom of speech and information.

“The real reason behind the arrest of Pavel Durov is clearly that they are trying to shut down Telegram, an online platform where you can find out what is really going on in the world ,” Moskalkova wrote on her Telegram page.

Russian human rights officials have condemned Mr Durov’s arrest as a “flagrant violation” of freedom of speech and another example of “the double standards that democracy-loving countries impose on basic human rights, while in fact trying to trample on them”.

“Instead of fighting crime, discrimination and other human rights violations, France is trying to completely control public opinion,” Ms. Moskalkova said sarcastically.