© Photo: Maria Novoselova/ Vestnik Kavkaza
Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested at a Paris airport. He arrived in the French capital from Azerbaijan, where he spent a week on a working visit. Investigators accuse him of a number of serious criminal offenses.
The creator of the Telegram messenger Pavel Durov was detained at a French airport, French media reports. According to the businessman, this happened at Le Bourget airport near Paris at 08:00 local time (21:00 Moscow time).
He flew to France from Azerbaijan, where he spent a week on a working visit, on a private jet, accompanied by a bodyguard and assistant. He came to Paris for a dinner appointment.
The businessman knew that he was wanted in France, but decided to come to the country anyway. Earlier, it became known that Durov received French citizenship in August 2021.
Why was Pavel Durov arrested?
The French media claim that Durov did not assist the country's law enforcement agencies in persecuting criminals using Telegram as a platform to commit offenses.
In addition, he is accused of drug trafficking, fraud, aiding terrorism, and crimes against children.
French investigators consider Durov not a direct perpetrator of all these crimes, but an accomplice, since his messenger was not moderated, which allowed the attackers to carry out their plans.
According to French journalists, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
