Durov, 39, was arrested Saturday in Le Bourget on suspicion of failing to take measures to prevent criminal use of Telegram, according to Agence France-Presse. His original detention was extended by 24 hours on Sunday evening, a judicial official said.
Telegram issued a statement on its platform and on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the Dubai-based company complies with European laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that Durov “has nothing to hide.”
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform,” the statement said. “We are awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation.”
Durov lives in Dubai and is a citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Telegram website. He has not yet commented on whether he has renounced his Russian citizenship.
The Russian embassy in Paris said it has asked French authorities for an explanation of the reasons and demanded that they guarantee the protection of his rights and provide consular access. Embassy officials are in contact with Durov’s lawyer, the statement said.
The French agency responsible for combating violence against minors, Ofmin, has issued an arrest warrant for Durov, AFP reported. Ofmin is the coordinating agency for a preliminary investigation into alleged crimes including fraud, drug trafficking, cyber harassment, organised crime and promoting terrorism, according to AFP.
Toncoin, a cryptocurrency linked to Telegram, plunged as much as 23% following news that Durov was detained.
Telegram was created by Durov and his brother Nikolai, a programmer and mathematician. It has around 900 million active users and is one of the most popular messaging apps. Its relatively lax approach to content moderation has led to accusations that it is frequently used for criminal activity and extremist material.
The Durov brothers made their fortune by creating the Russian social network VKontakte in 2006. That platform quickly became popular among Russians, making it a target for a billionaire with ties to the Kremlin.
Durov fled the country in 2014 and sold his stake in VKontakte. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth is over $9 billion.
In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in April, Durov spoke about the pressure he faced from Russian authorities while running VKontakte and the scrutiny of Telegram by law enforcement agencies around the world.
“I prefer to be free, I don’t want to take orders from anyone,” Durov said during the interview.
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