Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris Saturday evening, French media reported.
Durov was taken into custody under a French arrest warrant as he got off his private jet after a flight from Azerbaijan, TF1 TV and BFM TV reported, citing people familiar with the case. The warrant reportedly covers offenses related to Telegram. There was no confirmation from French officials.
The arrest was made by investigators from the National Anti-Fraud Office, part of the French Customs Department, according to the reports. Durov, who has been criticized for alleged insufficient moderation on the encrypted Telegram app, is accused of refusing to cooperate with authorities, according to the reports.
Telegram had not commented on the arrest by Sunday morning. The French interior ministry and police had no comment, Reuters reported. The Russian foreign ministry said its embassy in Paris was clarifying the situation around Durov, according to the Reuters report.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the main source of unfiltered — and sometimes misleading — content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict.
Durov was expected to appear in court on Sunday, TF1 and BFM reported.
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