France extends detention of Telegram chief Pavel Durov

 

France extends detention of Telegram chief Pavel Durov

 

Telegram said its CEO “has nothing to hide” as his surprise detention became an online flashpoint over free speech.

 

August 26, 2024 9:58 am CET

By Elena Giordano

https://www.politico.eu/article/france-extend-detention-telegram-ceo-russia-pavel-durov/

 

French judicial authorities on Sunday extended the detention of Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram whose surprise arrest at a Paris airport has sparked an outcry among so-called free speech advocates including Elon Musk.

 

Durov was detained after his private jet arrived at Le Bourget airport on Saturday night, as part of an inquiry into accusations of fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, terrorism promotion and cyber-bullying on the messaging platform.

 

Telegram pushed back strongly against any suggestion of wrongdoing in an online statement on Sunday, saying it abides by all EU laws and its founder “has nothing to hide."

 

"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform," the company said in the statement.

 

The investigative magistrate overseeing the case decided to prolong Durov's detention beyond Sunday night, Le Monde reported. Under the French system, this initial questioning period can last up to 96 hours. Once it is over, the judge can decide whether to release him or file charges and keep him in custody.

 

Russian's embassy in Paris requested access to Durov, who has French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, but said French officials were "refusing to cooperate" with their diplomatic inquiries, Russian state media reported.

 

In addition to being a potential diplomatic flashpoint, Durov's arrest sparked an outcry online, with some prominent advocates of free online speech claiming it was an attempt at censorship.

 

Billionaire tech tycoon Musk used his own platform, X, to repost clips of an interview with Durov by Tucker Carlson in April, in which the Telegram CEO praised X under Musk's leadership. "#FreePavel," Musk wrote.

 

Italy's right-wing Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini echoed that sentiment on Facebook, posting: "In Europe we are now under censorship ... Long live freedom, of thought and speech. Who will be the next to be gagged? The great (and inconvenient) Elon Musk?”

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who last week suspended his third-party campaign for the U.S. presidential nomination and endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump, tweeted: "The need to protect free speech has never been more urgent."

 

Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who sought asylum in Russia, on Sunday condemned Durov's arrest calling it  "an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association."

 

Snowden expressed disappointment that Paris had, in his view, "descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications."