Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has made his first public statement after being detained in Paris last week. Durov recounted his experience, revealing that he was detained for a duration of four days, during which he underwent interrogation by French police.
The authorities indicated that Durov may potentially face personal liability for the unlawful actions of Telegram users, pointing to the platform’s lack of response to government investigations.
Durov stated that he and the company’s European contact point had not been informed or alerted by the French government of these matters before his arrest.
Durov was astonished, noting that he had visited the French consulate in Dubai often and had previously aided the French government in establishing a hotline to combat terrorism.
He stated that the unanticipated series of events, which included his subsequent indictment, took him by surprise. Although Durov has been freed by the police, he has been instructed to stay in France.
Durov is being charged with being an accomplice in the distribution of illegal drugs and child pornography using the Telegram platform. Durov vehemently opposes the accusation made by French authorities that he did not cooperate with their investigations.
In July, an inquiry was initiated to examine Telegram’s operations, and there are indications that French authorities would be seeking a warrant for the arrest of Nikolai Durov, the brother of Durov.
