The French-Russian billionaire Pavel Durov was arrested when he arrived by plane at Le Boguet Airport outside Paris on Saturday evening. He is accused in the French criminal investigation of not having acted against criminals using his creation to commit crimes.
Telegram is also often used by both Moscow and Kiev in semi-official messages related to the Russian invasion war in Ukraine.
Lacking Explanation
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the Kremlin "does not exactly know what Durov is accused of" and that they have not received any official explanations from Paris about the arrest.
But government sources in Moscow are simultaneously accusing France of trying to strangle freedom of speech and that the arrest is politically motivated.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized on Monday that the arrest was part of an ongoing legal investigation.
"It's up to the judges to assess the case," Macron wrote on the platform X.
Prosecutor Extends
Durov has, according to sources within the French police, been arrested in an investigation led by Ofmin, a part of the French judiciary that works against exploitation, violence, and abuse of children and young people.
A prosecutor in Paris chose late on Monday to extend Durov's detention.
The app is considered to facilitate crime in general through a lack of moderation, handling of cryptocurrency, and a lack of willingness to cooperate with authorities.
Pavel Durov left Russia in 2014 and has his base in Dubai. Telegram says in a statement that Durov has nothing criminal to hide.
