Merchandise 1 of two Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech throughout the Cell Global Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Albert Gea/Report Photograph[1/2]Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech throughout the Cell Global Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Albert Gea/Report Photograph Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tabPARIS, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Telegram boss Pavel Durov may well be held in police custody till Wednesday after French prosecutors mentioned they’d granted additional time for wondering, whilst a senior best friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged Washington was once at the back of his arrest.Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, was once arrested in France over the weekend as a part of an investigation into crimes connected to pictures of kid intercourse abuse, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions at the platform, French prosecutors mentioned on Monday.On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the general public prosecutor mentioned Durov’s detention were prolonged by means of as much as 48 hours past due on Monday.The messaging platform, which analysts have described as a digital battlefield, has been closely utilized by either side of the battle in Ukraine and war-related information and propaganda channels around the world.With out offering proof, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma, the decrease area of parliament, mentioned america, via France, was once making an attempt to exert keep watch over over Telegram.”Telegram is among the few and on the similar time the biggest Web platform over which america has no affect,” Volodin mentioned in a submit.”At the eve of the U.S. presidential election, it will be significant for (President Joe) Biden to take Telegram underneath keep watch over.”The White Space didn’t straight away touch upon Durov’s arrest.With just about 1 billion customers, Telegram, which items itself as a haven totally free speech and political dissidents, is especially outstanding in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the previous Soviet Union.Whilst hundreds of thousands of extraordinary customers just like the app for its simple use and vary of purposes, additionally it is extensively utilized by far-right, anti-vax and conspiracist actions.French President Emmanuel Macron, who is understood to be an avid consumer of the app, has mentioned that the arrest was once “not at all a political choice”.After Russia introduced its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has transform the principle supply of unfiltered – and from time to time graphic and deceptive – content material from either side in regards to the battle and the politics surrounding the warfare. Join right here.Reporting by means of Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Tassilo Hummel in Paris; Enhancing by means of Barbara LewisOur Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Believe Rules., opens new tabPurchase Licensing Rights
Tassilo is a educated attorney who first joined Reuters in Berlin, then re-joined in Paris. He covers French politics and trade, EU establishments and NATO.
