Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was reportedly detained upon his arrival at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday.
Elon Musk, the American tech mogul, has called for the release of Durov. French authorities reportedly believe that the 39-year-old dual Russian-French national was involved in various criminal activities on Telegram, claiming insufficient moderation enables the platform’s widespread use for illegal purposes.
The US billionaire took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a video of Durov from April, where he discussed freedom of speech online with American conservative journalist Tucker Carlson, expressing his happiness about Musk’s purchase of Twitter. The video was accompanied by the hashtag ‘#FreePavel’.
Musk swiftly condemned the reported arrest. In a comment to a news story, he stated, “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.”
Musk further reacted to a post listing countries where “free speech is under attack”, which mentioned France’s reported arrest of Durov, by declaring, “Dangerous times.”
According to French media outlets, Durov arrived in France by private jet from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. He was reportedly accompanied by a bodyguard and an assistant. Le Figaro, citing sources, reported that Durov was scheduled to spend at least one evening in Paris, where he had planned to dine.
Durov holds citizenship in the United Arab Emirates, Saint Kitts and Nevis, France, and his native Russia. The Russian embassy in Paris stated it is investigating the situation but has not yet received an official request for assistance.