Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram (TON), speaks for the first time after his arrest in France, criticizing the action of the French authorities and declaring the company’s willingness to abandon markets hostile to freedom of expression.

Let’s see all the details below. 

Pavel Durov contests the arrest: “Telegram (TON) ready to leave hostile jurisdictions”

As anticipated, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has finally broken the silence regarding his recent arrest in France, expressing perplexity for the actions of the French authorities. 

The arrest, which took place in August 2024, sparked a wave of international criticism and raised concerns about the respect for libertà di parola in the country. 

Through a public message sent via his Telegram channel, Durov defended his position and that of his company, revealing the reasons behind his stance and suggesting a possible change of strategy for the future of Telegram.

As we know, Durov, a French citizen and founder of the popular messaging platform Telegram, found himself involved in an investigation by the French authorities. 

Following his arrest, he has been prohibited from leaving the country and must now report weekly to law enforcement. In his first public statement since the arrest, Durov stated that he was surprised by the authorities’ decision to arrest him. 

Especially considering that Telegram has a legal representative in France responsible for handling all regulatory requests.

Durov also emphasized that the authorities had many other ways to contact him without resorting to drastic measures such as arrest. He cited the fact that he is a regular visitor to the French consulate in Dubai and is therefore easily reachable. 

This move by the authorities, according to him, was disproportionate and unjustified, leading to an escalation that could compromise the future of Telegram in France and in other similar jurisdictions.

The response of Durov to the arrest

In his statement, Pavel Durov clearly expressed discontent with the actions of the French authorities. Furthermore, he suggested that Telegram might abandon those markets that prove to be incompatible with the fundamental principles of the platform. 

Durov reiterated that Telegram is not a profit-driven company, but rather driven by the desire to defend freedom of speech and expression, especially in places where these rights are threatened.

“We are ready to leave the markets that do not respect our principles. We are not here to make money, but to defend the fundamental rights of people, especially in countries where these rights are violated.”

These words seem to suggest a change of course by Telegram, which could soon leave markets where regulatory pressure is excessive and in conflict with the mission of the platform.

The international reaction and the Macron case

The arrest of Durov quickly attracted international attention, generating criticism towards the French authorities for what many have called an attack on freedom of speech. 

The French president Emmanuel Macron was forced to intervene, stating that Durov’s arrest was not political in nature. However, his statement did not quell the criticism. 

Many digital rights activists and freedom of expression advocates have accused France of overstepping the limits, putting the country’s credibility as a defender of fundamental rights at risk.

The reaction against France’s actions has been particularly strong within the technology industry. 

The TON Society, a group linked to the messaging platform, along with numerous industry executives, has expressed solidarity with Durov and called for his immediate release.

Among the supporters of Durov, Chris Pavlovski, founder and CEO of Rumble, a platform similar to YouTube, has stood out, who has harshly criticized France for its recent actions against the defenders of freedom of speech.

After the arrest of Durov, Pavlovski decided to leave Europe, stating that France is no longer a safe country for the founders of technological platforms that promote freedom of expression. 

In a statement, Pavlovski said that France has “crossed a red line” by arresting the CEO of Telegram. Furthermore, he warned other tech entrepreneurs to stay away from Europe if they want to preserve the principles of freedom of speech.

“France has threatened Rumble and now has arrested Pavel Durov for not censoring the word”,

Pavlovski stated. He promised to use “all available means” to fight what he called attempts at censorship by the French authorities.