The 39-year-old businessman was detained when he arrived by private plane from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Durov was detained by the air transport gendarmerie because he is on the list of wanted persons in France.
TF1 reports that Durov could face charges in France for failing to do anything as the founder and head of Telegram to prevent the platform from being used to commit crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, selling stolen goods and sexual exploitation of children. French law enforcement authorities believe that Durov is complicit in these crimes because he refuses to moderate content on the platform, a BFMTV source said.
A court hearing is scheduled for Sunday, and Durov is expected to be remanded in custody.
TV channels report that Durov’s arrest warrant is valid only in France and that he knew he could be detained, so it is not clear why he came to France.
Durov has not lived in Russia since 2014. In 2021, it was reported that he was granted French citizenship. He mostly stayed in the United Arab Emirates and also holds citizenship of that country. Durov also holds citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis.
2024-08-25 09:07:22