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French prosecutors have extended the detention of Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged criminal activity on the messaging app.
The Paris prosecutor’s office, which is leading the probe alongside police and customs officials, said on Monday night it would keep Durov in custody up until the legal limit of 96 hours since his arrest, the second time it has lengthened his detention as investigators rush to fortify their case.
The Russian-born billionaire could be held until Wednesday night, as a French magistrate determines whether to charge him in an unprecedented action against the head of a social media platform.
French prosecutors on Monday said they had detained Durov, who is now a French-Emirati citizen, as part of an investigation opened in July into Telegram’s failure to moderate alleged criminal activity on the platform. These activities range from the spread of child sexual abuse material to drug trafficking, fraud, terrorism enablement and money laundering.
The United Arab Emirates, where Durov and his company are based, has said it was “closely following the case” and had submitted a request to the French to provide Durov with consular services “in an urgent manner”.
Russia, from which Durov has tried to distance himself and the app amid claims by critics that the Kremlin might still have links to or leverage over Telegram, had also demanded consular access to him over the weekend.
Durov’s dramatic arrest on Saturday night took place after his private plane landed at Paris-Le Bourget airport on a flight from Baku, Azerbaijan. The move has ignited diplomatic tensions while further escalating a global debate between free speech advocates and those concerned about safety online.
“Investigators must consider they can obtain more information for the investigation or simply put pressure on him” by extending his custody, said a Paris-based lawyer with close knowledge of the process.
If Durov is charged “it will be interesting to see what measures a judge imposes, as he lives abroad”, the person continued. These could include house arrest or a ban on leaving the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron also intervened on Monday after some Russian lawmakers claimed the arrest was made on political grounds.
“I have read false information here regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov,” Macron wrote on social media platform X. “The arrest of the Telegram president on French territory took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to decide.”
Over the weekend, technology billionaire Elon Musk, a self-declared free speech absolutist, hit out at French authorities, posting the hashtag “#freepavel” on X, which he owns.
Known as the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia” after co-founding its most popular social media network, VKontakte, Durov fled the country in 2014 after allegedly refusing to comply with Moscow’s demands for access to the data of Ukrainian users protesting against a pro-Russia administration.
Telegram has exploded in popularity since it was founded in 2013 with nearly 1bn users. It is widely used in conflict zones and humanitarian crises, but Durov’s hands-off approach to moderation has led some researchers to warn it has become a hub for illicit activity and extremism.
The warrant for Durov’s arrest was issued by Ofmin, a French police agency set up in the past year focused on preventing violence against minors.
It is unclear whether Durov and his advisers were aware of the full scope of the legal process against him in France, but the prosecutor’s case includes allegations of “refusal to hand over . . . information or documents” to authorities.
Telegram has said its chief executive has “nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe”, adding that its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving”. The company also said it was abiding by EU laws including the Digital Services Act.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the company said. “We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
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