Durov's First Reaction After Temporary Release: Instead of Arrest, You Should Have Sued Telegram

Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app 'Telegram', who is under investigation in France, stated on Friday, September 7, that French authorities should have sued Telegram instead of arresting him. In his first public comment after his release in France, he denied any speculation that Telegram is a 'chaos paradise'. Durov wrote that the investigation into Telegram is surprising, as French officials could have contacted a European Union representative on Telegram at any time through the communication line he helped establish. He added, 'If a country is dissatisfied with an internet service, the usual procedure is to initiate legal action against it,' and noted, 'Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to accuse a CEO of crimes committed by third parties on a platform he manages is an incorrect approach.' Durov emphasized that Telegram is not perfect but rejected any misuse associated with the platform, stating, 'Claims by some media that Telegram is a kind of chaos paradise are absolutely false. We delete millions of harmful posts and channels every day.' Durov, who was born in Russia but also holds French citizenship, was arrested late last month after traveling to France amid investigations into child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud transactions related to Telegram. His arrest occurred on September 25 after he entered an airport near Paris from Azerbaijan. He is accused of failing to take necessary measures to prevent criminal use of Telegram, and reports indicate that his arrest is related to crimes committed on the messaging platform. After being charged, Durov was released on a €5 million bail and is under judicial supervision but is not allowed to leave France. The French judiciary has emphasized that he will be summoned to court for a potential indictment. This messaging platform refuses to provide information, documents, or user messages to police or security organizations based on its own laws. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, reacted to Durov's arrest by stating, 'Durov's arrest is not a political act but part of an independent judicial investigation in this country.' He wrote on his social media account that his country is 'deeply committed to freedom of expression', but 'freedoms are respected within the legal framework, both in social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.' Durov's arrest in France has provoked anger in Russia, with some government officials describing it as a politically motivated action that allegedly reflects the West's double standards regarding freedom of expression. Moscow's protest surprised Kremlin critics, as Russian officials had attempted to block Telegram in 2018 but ultimately backed down after failing to do so.