The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested consular assistance for Pavel Durov, the Dubai-based founder of Telegram, following his arrest in France.
The UAE’s foreign ministry stated, “The UAE is closely monitoring the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by the French authorities at Paris–Le Bourget Airport.”
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire, was detained at the Paris airport on Saturday and is accused of failing to prevent the spread of illegal content on Telegram. French authorities extended his initial detention for questioning until Wednesday, according to a source close to the investigation.
French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed any suggestion of a political motive behind Durov’s arrest, saying, “There is no political motive, only a judicial one.” Telegram has denied the accusations, stating that Durov has “nothing to hide” and that the platform complies with EU laws.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow had received no information from France about the reasons for Durov’s detention, adding, “We do not know exactly what Durov is accused of.”
Telegram stated that Durov’s arrest is “absurd” and that the platform is not responsible for abuse. “Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act—its moderation is within industry standards,” the company said.
Durov established Telegram after leaving Russia a decade ago and holds dual citizenship of the UAE and France. Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion.
