French-Russian tech billionaire and Telegram app CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at a Paris airport on August 25 over criminal charges. Durov was arrested at the Le Bourget airport over allegations that his messaging app facilitates criminality and lacks moderation. Telegram reacted to the founder’s arrest, saying “Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe”. Russia’s TASS news agency cited an EU source who said Durov’s arrest is in line with the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The embassy said Paris has so far “avoided engagement” with Durov and Russian diplomats are in contact with his lawyer. The Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev criticised Durov’s move to leave Russia, saying he “miscalculated”. “Pavel Durov is a political prisoner – a victim of a witch-hunt by the West,” a Russian lawmaker told Reuters.
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