AFP
Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested by French police at an airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram on Sunday.
Durov, who holds French citizenship, was reportedly arrested on charges related to Telegram’s refusal to cooperate with French law enforcement, French media reported.
Durov is reportedly accused of terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering, among other things. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Russian embassy in France immediately took steps to clarify the situation before New People party representative Vladislav Davankov urged the Russian government to demand Durov’s release, TASS reported.
“The Russian embassy in Paris immediately began working on the case,” as it is the duty of Russian diplomats to respond to cases involving the detention of Russian citizens abroad, Zakharova said.
Durov was reportedly arrested as he disembarked from his private jet after landing at Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening.
Durov founded Telegram in 2013. The messaging app has great influence in Russia and became an important source of information during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.