Pavel Durov, also known as the ‘Russian Mark Zuckerberg’, was arrested on 24 August in France, on the orders of Emmanuel Macron, the President of the French Republic. This decision has caused considerable controversy internationally due to its apparent arbitrariness.
In many parts of Russia and Ukraine, Pavel Durov is held in very high regard. He is also known throughout the world for creating one of the most open, secure and innovative messaging apps. And that is precisely what people fear lies behind this scandalous arrest: the closure of Telegram or its forced interference by the European Union.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov is known outside the Russian-speaking world primarily as the founder of Telegram. However, in countries such as Russia and Ukraine, this acclaimed programmer is best known for having created the social network VK (VKontakte), which has gained immense popularity in Eastern European countries since its launch in 2006.
Pavel Durov conceived Telegram as a a secure messaging system in which people could communicate with one another without security breaches or external interference. He came up with the idea for Telegram whilst in a very dangerous situation in 2011. That year, armed officials from the Russian government turned up at his doorstep and urged him to censor content relating to the political opposition on VKontakte.
It was at this moment that a light dawned on Pavel and he came up with the idea of creating an independent messaging app, free from censorship and the influence of any state authority. Although initially only text messages could be sent, Telegram’s developers gradually added more features such as video calls, audio messages and video messages (an idea that WhatsApp would later copy).
He currently resides in Dubai, where Telegram’s offices are also based. To get an idea of the scale of Telegram: it has registered 900 million users, half of whom use Telegram actively on a daily basis.
Why has the founder of Telegram been arrested?
On the evening of 24 August, Dúrov was arrested at Le Bourget airport in France as soon as his flight from Azerbaijan landed. He is accused of collusion in drug trafficking, terrorism, child abuse and fraud. These extremely serious allegations are based on the persistent the founder’s refusal Telegram’s willingness to cooperate with the French authorities in moderating content on its messaging platform.
The French police it cannot choose to deport him or to restrict his freedom of movement within the country, as Dúrov was granted French citizenship in 2021. Dúrov currently faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
However, Pavel Durov’s arrest is merely the last straw. In one of his rare interviews, the businessman revealed that he had also come under a great deal of pressure both Russia and the United States to enable their respective governments to exercise greater control over the platform. Other countries Countries such as India, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Iran, Spain, Germany and Hong Kong also demanded that Durov block certain news channels on Telegram, claiming that they were spreading hate speech.
What will happen to Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov’s arrest did not come as a surprise, as it is preceded by a thorough investigation on the grounds that the French authorities have found evidence that serves as a legal basis for his arrest.
Following the court’s approval of his arrest and once this had taken effect, the accused was questioned about the findings of the preliminary investigation, to which Dúrov was able to respond or simply remain silent.
Generally speaking, a detention of this kind can last up to 24 hours, but everything suggests that Pavel’s detention has been extended. The police will then have to decide whether to release Dúrov and continue the investigation, or to send him directly to trial, a process that could take a couple of years.
It is worth noting that this entire process is confidential, so we will know nothing of Dúrov’s whereabouts or legal status until the authorities have made a formal decision.
What have been the reactions to Dúrov’s arrest?
Overall, the French Government’s decision and the extremely serious charges brought against it have caused a great stir around the world, including in the West.
From the team at Telegram They have expressed their bewilderment at the arrest of their CEO and have stated that Dúrov “has nothing to hide”.
Elon Musk, the head of X (formerly Twitter), has publicly called for Durov’s release without charge and tweeted, somewhat ironically, on his profile that “It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re executed for liking a meme”.
The Kremlin has also commented via the Russian Federation’s press secretary, Dmitri Peskov: “We hope that Mr Durov has all the necessary resources to organise his defence before the authorities. Naturally, as he holds Russian nationality, we will do everything we can to assist him. However, the situation is complicated, as Durov also holds French nationality.”.
For its part, Emmanuel Macron has made the following statement: “It is the judiciary that is responsible, with full independence, for enforcing the law.”.
The arrest of Pavel Durov: Western democracies under scrutiny
In a twist that challenges the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law, Pavel Durov’s arrest in France lays bare the cracks in the West’s façade of freedom and justice.
This action, backed by the European Union, undermines the judicial independence in full view of everyone, and raises disturbing questions about the true nature of freedoms in so-called advanced democracies.
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