Russian authorities have reacted strongly to the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov upon his arrival at Le Bourget airport in Paris on Saturday. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Durov was detained shortly after stepping off a private plane.
On Sunday morning, the Russian Embassy in France issued a statement strongly criticizing the French authorities’ handling of the case, accusing them of failing to cooperate in ensuring Durov’s rights. “As soon as information about the arrest of P.V. Durov appeared in the media, we immediately asked the French authorities to clarify the reasons and ensure his legitimate rights, including consular access. To date, the French side has not given a positive response to this issue. We are closely cooperating with P.V. Durov’s lawyer,” the statement said.
Some Russian officials have viewed the arrest as an indirect hostile act against Russia, according to the Wall Street Journal. Durov is reportedly a dual citizen of France and Russia, although other sources say he holds French and UAE citizenship.
French authorities are expected to make an official announcement about the arrest on Monday, according to the Paris prosecutor's office, which was cited by NPR. According to French media, Durov could face serious charges related to Telegram's operations, including money laundering and distributing "child-offending content," due to censorship deficiencies on the platform.
As for Telegram, the company first spoke out about the incident on Sunday, asserting that “Telegram has always complied with EU law, including the Digital Services Act.” The company also stressed that “Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and frequently travels within Europe,” according to a statement posted on the X platform.
Although some sources have suggested that Durov could face up to 20 years in prison, that figure was not mentioned in initial French media reports.
Following the arrest, many important figures in the crypto industry have publicly expressed their support for Durov, including Elon Musk, owner of the X platform; Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum; Justin Sun, founder of TRON; Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, and many others.
The event had a significant impact on the market, as Toncoin's price dropped by about 15% since news of the arrest broke, according to data from Bitcoin Magazine. TON is trading at $5.7 at the time of writing.
Source: https://tapchibitcoin.io/nga-phap-leo-thang-cang-thang-sau-vu-bat-giu-ceo-telegram.html
