Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France

According to the report, Durov was arrested around 8:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. Kyiv time) on Saturday evening when he disembarked from his private jet onto the runway at Le Bourget Airport. He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a woman.

Reasons for the arrest

The arrest was carried out by the GTA (Gendarmerie des transports aériens). The reason for the arrest was that Durov was registered in the FPR (Fichier des Personnes Recherchées – a database of wanted persons) and had just arrived from Azerbaijan. He was subject to a French arrest warrant issued by the OFMIN of the national directorate of the French judicial police as part of a prior investigation.

Law enforcement officials believe that Durov’s lack of moderation and cooperation with authorities, as well as the features of the Telegram messenger (such as disposable numbers, encryption, etc.), make him complicit in drug trafficking, pedophile crimes, and fraud.

This arrest warrant was valid only if Pavel Durov was on French territory. In August 2021, he was granted citizenship by France.

"He made a blunder this evening. We don't know why... Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he's in custody!" a source close to the investigation stated.

The television channel notes that, knowing he was a persona non grata in France, Durov typically traveled to the UAE, post-Soviet countries, South America, and other regions of the world. He rarely traveled in Europe, avoiding countries where Telegram was under scrutiny.

An investigator told TF1 "Pavel Durov will end up in pretrial detention, that's for sure."

"On his platform, he allowed an incalculable number of offenses and crimes to be committed, for which he did nothing to moderate or cooperate. His pre-trial detention following his indictment is indeed beyond doubt," a source familiar with the case commented.

Objectives of the arrest

According to the television channel, this international operation by law enforcement aimed to achieve several objectives.

First, it was designed to disrupt criminal activity, make a statement, and deter criminals and offenders who had been freely exchanging messages on Telegram.

Second, the operation was intended to pressure European countries to ramp up joint efforts to combat terrorism within the encrypted messaging service.

TF1 notes that many accounts on the encrypted messaging service are used by organized crime. In addition to terrorism, some of the most dangerous child offenders use Telegram to exchange illicit content.

"For years, it has become THE number 1 platform for organized crime," said one of the investigators.

Based on preliminary charges, Durov could face up to 20 years in prison.

Restrictions on Telegram in Ukraine

Several months ago, the idea of restricting certain Telegram channels was actively discussed in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine expressed concerns about the dangers posed by anonymous Telegram channels, which often spread false information.

Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted that Telegram posed a national security issue.

The Security Service of Ukraine reported that the messenger cooperated with Russia's Roskomnadzor and complied with requests from Russian authorities to block certain channels.