Paris: Telegram founder and chief Pavel Durov was headed to a court here where he could be formally charged, after his initial arrest period for questioning came to an end, according to reports. The Russian-born 39-year-old was arrested at the French capital's Le Bourget airport on suspicion of failing to act against illicit content on his social network Telegram.
The United Arab Emirates and Russia have submitted requests for consular access to Telegram messenger CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested in Paris over his alleged refusal to cooperate in the investigation of crimes related to the app.
The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early on Tuesday that it was "closely following" Durov's case and had "submitted a request to the French government to provide him with all consular services urgently," reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Russian media TASS.
Russia's embassy in Paris had earlier referred a note to the French foreign ministry demanding consular access to Durov, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Durov was born in Russia and is a citizen of France, Russia, the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the UAE.
Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that Durov was arrested in connection with a judicial investigation of 12 criminal counts, including one related to cybercrime.
"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act -- its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving," Telegram said in a statement. "Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe," it said. "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform."
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Durov's arrest in Paris was made under "an ongoing judicial investigation" and was not a "political decision". "The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter," he said in a post on his X handle.
"In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights. It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law", he wrote.
