Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested by French police at Le Bourget Airport, just north of Paris. Durov, 39, was detained upon arrival on his private jet, with authorities indicating that the arrest was made under a warrant for offences related to the popular messaging app Telegram.
Details about the exact nature of the allegations against Durov remain unclear. However, the Russian embassy in France has reportedly taken “immediate steps” to clarify the situation, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency.
Durov has had a complicated relationship with Russian authorities. In 2014, he left Russia after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on VKontakte, a social media platform he had previously founded and later sold.
[block_2]As the story develops, more details are expected to emerge regarding the reasons behind Durov’s arrest and the legal actions being pursued against him.
