Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Reportedly Arrested at Airport
In a surprising turn of events, Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging platform, was allegedly detained on Saturday evening at Bourget Airport near Paris. This arrest was first reported by French media outlets TF1 TV and BFM TV, citing unnamed sources.
Telegram, a major communication tool across Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics, is one of the leading global social media platforms, alongside Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. With a user base nearing 900 million, Telegram aims to reach the one billion mark within the next year.
Durov, who is based in Dubai, originally hails from Russia. He left the country in 2014 after refusing to comply with the Russian government’s demands to shut down opposition groups on his VK social network, which he subsequently sold.
According to TF1, Durov was traveling on his private jet when he was apprehended. The arrest is reportedly linked to an ongoing investigation in France regarding the alleged insufficient moderation on Telegram, which authorities believe has allowed criminal activities to proliferate on the platform unchecked.
Despite the gravity of the situation, neither Telegram nor the French authorities have issued a formal statement. Requests for comment from Reuters were also met with silence from the French Interior Ministry and police.
Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as a critical channel for uncensored and often controversial information from both sides of the conflict. The platform has become a preferred communication medium for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his officials, while the Kremlin also uses it to broadcast its messages. Moreover, for many Russians, Telegram remains one of the few remaining sources of unfiltered news about the war.
Reports indicate that Durov had been traveling from Azerbaijan when he was detained around 8:00 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT). Forbes estimates his net worth at $15.5 billion.
Durov has previously stated that despite pressure from various governments, Telegram should maintain its status as a neutral platform rather than becoming entangled in geopolitical conflicts.
Following the news of Durov’s arrest, Russia’s embassy in France announced that it was taking immediate steps to verify the situation, though it had not been contacted by Durov’s team. Meanwhile, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s representative to international organizations in Vienna, and several other Russian politicians criticized France, accusing it of authoritarianism.
Ulyanov commented on social media, warning that those with prominent roles in the international information space should be cautious about visiting countries perceived as increasingly totalitarian. In response to the arrest, several Russian bloggers have called for protests at French embassies worldwide on Sunday.
