Telegram boss Pavel Durov has criticised French charges against him following his arrest at Paris Airport Speaking for the first time since his arrest, Durov asserted that the charges against him are unjust. He was detained on August 24, 2024, at Paris-Le Bourget Airport.
Telegram Boss Pavel Durov has slammed French Charges against him, following his arrest at Paris Airport.
In a detailed statement shared on Telegram, Durov argued that the prosecution’s approach represents a misguided effort, stating, « If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself. »
He emphasized that holding a CEO responsible for third-party actions on their platform is a flawed principle that could deter innovation. ‘Building technology is hard enough as it is. No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools.
He also countered the police assertion that his company was difficult to contact, noting that Telegram maintains an official representative in the EU, easily accessible for law enforcement queries. “The French authorities had numerous ways to reach me to request assistance,” he remarked.
Detained on August 24, 2024, at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, Durov faced 12 criminal charges, including complicity in distributing child pornography, drug dealing, and money laundering. He was released on bail several days later but expressed his discontent with the French authorities’ reasoning, which he described as “surprising.”
