Telegram has said its chief executive has “nothing to hide” after his arrest in France over the weekend and called the charges against him “absurd”.
The messaging app’s billionaire founder was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening after arriving on his private jet from Azerbaijan.
Officials have reportedly said the arrest was under a warrant for offences related to Telegram. French media reported the investigation concerns allegations Durov failed to adequately moderate criminal uses of the app, including money laundering and drug trafficking.
In a statement on Sunday, Dubai-based Telegram said: “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform.”
“We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation,” the company added.
Durov’s detainment has been criticised by free speech proponents, with X owner Elon Musk posting the hashtag “#freepavel” on his platform.
In a separate post on X, Edward Snowden, the US surveillance whistleblower who now lives in Russia, called Durov’s arrest “an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association”.
Telegram was founded in 2013 and has surged in popularity in recent years to reach nearly 1bn users. The app has become particularly widely used in Russia, Ukraine and Israel.
However, its encrypted features have also raised concerns over extremism and criminal activity on the platform. Telegram was recently used by UK far-right activists to promote protests over the Southport stabbings that descended into rioting.
Durov fled his native Russia in 2014 after losing control of VKontakte, the popular social media platform he co-founded in 2007, and allegedly refusing to hand over data to Moscow of Ukrainian activists protesting a pro-Russia administration.
He moved to Dubai in 2017 and is reported to have United Arab Emirates citizenship. Durov became a French citizen in August 2021.