The arrest warrants for Telegram CEO Pavel Durov and his brother, co-founder Nikolai Durov, were issued by French authorities months earlier than initially suspected.
In the latest revelation, the arrest warrants for the brothers behind the viral messaging app Telegram were first issued in March 2024, according to French administrative documents seen by Politico.
The news comes hours after reports that Durov’s phone was hacked by French and United Arab Emirates spies back in 2017, due to the UAE’s concern over the use of Telegram to recruit operatives and plan attacks.
The Telegram CEO’s phone was hacked a year before he met with French President Emmanuel Macron to reportedly discuss Telegram’s move to Paris.
Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport north of Paris after landing in a private jet from Azerbaijan on Aug. 24.
Related: Telegram CEO Durov visited Russia repeatedly since 2014: Report
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
