Durov Has Nothing To Hide, Telegram Says Of Arrested Founder

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram who was arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide, and it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for the abuse of the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement, Ingrid Melander, Gilles Guillaume, Corentin Chappron, and Alain Acco reported for Reuters.

Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet late on Saturday from Azerbaijan. I Photo: TechCrunch

Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet late on Saturday from Azerbaijan.

The arrest of the Telegram CEO prompted a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights and criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who said that free speech in Europe was under attack, Lidia Kelly, Camille Raynaud, and Guy Faulconbridge also reported for Reuters.

Telegram, in a short statement released after midnight Paris time, provided no details of the arrest but said the Dubai-based company abided by European Union laws and that its moderation was within industry standards and constantly improving.

“Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe," Telegram said. "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for the abuse of that platform."