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If the initial period ends, the judge can either decide to free him or press charges and remand him in further custody read more
 "France extends detention of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, Russia left fuming")
Pavel Durov was arrested at Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening. Reuters
Hours after arresting Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, the French judicial authorities have extended the Russian-born billionaire’s detention in the country. The tech-mogul was arrested at the Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday.
Following the arrest, the French judicial authorities extended the 39-year-old’s detention beyond Sunday night. The order was given by the investigating magistrate who is handling the case, The Guardian reported. It is important to note that the initial period of detention for questioning can last up to 96 hours in France.
If the initial period ends, the judge can either decide to free him or press charges and remand him in further custody. The French authorities issued an arrest warrant against Durov as a part of an inquiry into allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, promotion of terrorism and cyberbullying.
What are the allegations?
The French authorities accused Durov of failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform. “Enough of Telegram’s impunity,” said one investigator who expressed surprise that Durov flew to Paris knowing he was a wanted man.
Meanwhile, Telegram came to its co-founder’s defence and released a statement over the matter. “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” the statement by Durov’s company reads.
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation,” it furthered.
Russia keeps an eye
Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have slammed France and accused the country of “refusing to cooperate” in the case. The Russian embassy in France is taking “immediate steps” to get clarity on the situation. According to Russian news outlet Tass, the country’s embassy has received no appeals from Durov’s team, but it is “proactively taking immediate steps”.
Durov left Russia back in 2014 after he refused to comply with the Russian government’s demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform. However, the billionaire eventually sold the platform.
Durov and his brother Nikolai founded the famous messaging app back in 2013. Over the years, Telegram has acquired over 900 million active users. It emerged as an alternative to Meta’s Whatsapp and provides end-to-end encrypted messaging. Users can also set up “channels” to disseminate information quickly to followers.
Interestingly, Telegram was banned in Russia, back in 2018 after Durov refused to hand over user data to the government. However, the ban was reversed in 2021. The Russian-born tech mogul lives in Dubai, where the messaging app is based and holds the dual citizenship of both France and the United Arab Emirates.
With inputs from agencies.
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English (US) ·