Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov To Know Fate Today

The founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, awaits a decisive declaration today on whether he will be charged and potentially detained following his arrest by French authorities over the weekend for alleged infractions related to the messaging platform.

Naija News recalls that the 39-year-old Russian investor was taken into custody at Le Bourget airport near Paris late on Saturday.

Judicial authorities have extended his initial detention period multiple times, lasting up to 96 hours.

Durov is under investigation for 12 alleged offences concerning the failure to manage extremist content on Telegram as part of a probe initiated confidentially on July 8, according to sources familiar with the case.

Durov established Telegram while he was in the process of leaving his home country of Russia a decade ago.

The application has experienced remarkable growth, now serving over 900 million users.

An elusive individual who seldom addresses the public, Durov holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram’s headquarters are.

Forbes estimates his net worth at $15.5 billion, although he advocates for a lifestyle characterized by asceticism, which includes practices such as ice baths and abstaining from alcohol and coffee.

The timing and conditions surrounding Durov’s arrest have raised numerous questions, particularly regarding his decision to travel to Paris while seemingly aware of an outstanding warrant.

President Macron State’s Position On Durov’s Arrest

Reacting earlier to speculations about why Durov was arrested, French President Emmanuel Macron said via his X official handle the Telegram chief’s arrest “took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation”, and not political as speculated in some quarters.

“It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter,” he wrote in a highly unusual comment on a legal case.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the charges were severe and thus needed “no less serious evidence”.

“Otherwise, this would be a direct attempt to restrict freedom of communication and, I might even say, directly intimidate the head of a large company,” he said.

The UAE meanwhile said it was closely monitoring the case involving Durov and had requested consular access for its citizens.

Among those voicing support for Durov is fellow tech tycoon and chief executive of X, Elon Musk, who has posted comments under the hashtag #FreePavel, Naija News reports.