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Agence France-Presse

Pavel Durov, the founder and chief of Telegram, is set to learn Wednesday whether he will face charges and even be remanded in custody after his weekend arrest by French authorities over alleged violations at the messaging app.
Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday, and while the judicial authorities have repeatedly extended his initial period of detention, it can last a maximum of 96 hours.
As part of a probe that was confidentially opened on July 8, Durov is being investigated on suspicion of 12 offences related to failing to curb extremist content on Telegram, sources close to the investigation have said.
The tech mogul founded Telegram as he was in the process of quitting his native Russia a decade ago. Its growth has been exponential, with the app now boasting over 900 million users.

An enigmatic figure who rarely speaks in public, Durov is a citizen of Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based.
Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at US$15.5 billion, though he proudly promotes the virtues of an ascetic life that includes ice baths and not drinking alcohol or coffee.
Numerous questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of Durov’s detention, in particular why he flew into Paris apparently knowing a warrant had been issued against him.
In a post on X to address what he called “false information” concerning the case, French President Emmanuel Macron said Durov’s arrest “took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation”.
“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 very serious 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 following the case” and had requested consular access for its citizen.

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.
When the initial 96-hour questioning period ends, the investigating magistrate can either free Durov or press charges and remand him in custody.
He could also be freed under judicial control that could include restrictions on his movements.
Durov, who has been based in Dubai in recent years, arrived in Paris from the Azerbaijani capital Baku and was planning to have dinner in the French capital, a source close to the case said.
He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a personal assistant who always travel with him, added the source, asking not to be named.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Baku on a state visit to Azerbaijan on August 18 and 19, though Peskov has denied that the two met.
France’s OFMIN, an office tasked with preventing violence against minors, issued an arrest warrant for Durov in a preliminary investigation into alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism.
Telegram said in response that “Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe”.
“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards,” it added.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
Telegram has positioned itself as a “neutral” alternative to US-owned platforms, which have been criticised for their commercial exploitation of users’ personal data.
It has also played a key role since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, used actively by politicians and commentators on both sides of the war.
But critics accuse it of hosting often illegal content ranging from extreme sexual imagery to disinformation and narcotics services.


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France

Telegram’s Pavel Durov set to learn fate after France arrest

Pavel Durov in 2016. Durov was detained in France on Saturday. File photo: Bloomberg

Telegram offers users end-to-end encryption for their communications. Photo: AFP

Telegram’s Pavel Durov in 2017. File photo: AP

Who is Pavel Durov, Telegram founder dubbed the ‘Russian Zuckerberg’ arrested in France?

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram, in 2017. File photo: AP

Pavel Durov in 2015. File photo: AFP

In a statement, Telegram said it abides by EU laws. Photo: EPA-EFE

Pavel Durov, in a photo from his Instagram account. File photo: @durov/Instagram

Macron denies Telegram founder Durov’s arrest ‘political’ as France extends detention

Founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov. File photo: Reuters

Telegram said it abided by European Union laws. Photo: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February 2016. Photo: Reuters

Demonstrators with an icon stylised painting depicting Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov protest against the blocking of the messaging app in Russia, during a May Day rally in Saint Petersburg in 2018. Photo: AFP

The Telegram app on an iPhone. Photo: File

A pedestrian walks past paper planes displayed as a reference to the logo of instant messaging service Telegram outside France’s embassy in Moscow on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong tech experts warn against local legal action over Telegram app after French arrest CEO

Experts have warned against Hong Kong taking legal action over Telegram after its founder was arrested in France. Photo: dpa

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, has been arrested in Paris on allegations the lax supervision of the platform has allowed criminality. Photo: Reuters.

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French prosecutors will either need to charge or release the Telegram boss after the maximum 96-hour detention period expires


French prosecutors will either need to charge or release the Telegram boss after the maximum 96-hour detention period expires.
