- Last Saturday (August 24, 2024), the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.
- However, Russia feels there isn’t enough evidence to back up the serious accusations France has made against Durov.
- The Kremlin feels this might be a politically motivated move or a direct act of intimidation.
On Tuesday, Russia issued words of caution to France over its arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, asking it to show evidence for all the serious accusations it has made.
About Telegram CEO’s Arrest
On July 8, French authorities opened an investigation into drug trafficking, organized crime, fraud, and the distribution of pornographic images of minors on Telegram.
Following this, on Saturday (August 24, 2024), the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant against Pavel Durov.
What Does Russia Have to Say about This?
Durov is officially a French as well as a UAE citizen. However, he was born in Russia, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that they still consider him a citizen – which is also why they’re so concerned about his arrest.
France has made some serious accusations but is yet to provide any evidence to back them up. Without any evidence, Peskov said, this move will be viewed as a direct act of intimidation or an attempt to limit freedom of speech.
He also added that this decision might be politically motivated. Although Russia has come out in support of Durov now, it’s important to note that the duo has a complicated relationship.
For starters, Telegram was banned in Russia in 2018 and several fines were imposed on it for allegedly displaying illegal content. Telegram’s operations were restored two years later in 2020.
However, ever since then, there have been rumors that Telegram has ties with the Russian government.
In fact, before his arrest, Durov visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where he was supposed to have a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. However, according to Durov, the meeting never took place. He has also denied having any ties with the government.
What Does France Have to Say?
In fact, France is deeply committed to promoting and protecting freedom of speech. Meanwhile, the UAE has also issued a statement revealing that it has requested French officials to provide diplomatic assistance to Durov and is closely following the case.
How Has Durov’s Arrest Raised Questions about the Limit of Free Speech?
Durov has always believed that governments and political organizations shouldn’t have too much control over people’s speech.
Hence, from day one, Telegram has been positioned as an app where you can have secure, encrypted conversations without any intervention from authorities.
This has been greatly helpful in countries like Iran and Hong Kong, where there’s an authoritarian regime.
However, on the flip side, without any restriction, extremist groups like Proud Boys and terrorist organizations like ISIS have also flourished. Communication and recruitment over Telegram are easier because they remain anonymous.
Also, without any policy on sharing sexual abuse videos of children, sellers and consumers of child porn have also, unfortunately, found a safe haven in Telegram.
Read more: the weaponization of Telegram in the Israel-Hamas war
Naturally, governments around the world felt it was time to take action against the company. The EU was the first to force Telegram to be more transparent and take steps to handle illegal content on its platform. However, it was France who took the biggest step and arrested Durov.
Now, while one section supports this move, preachers of free speech, such as Elon Musk, have criticized it. “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” Musk said on X.
Similar sentiments have also been shared by Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, and many other companies who are mostly concerned about their ease of operation in Europe.
Ultimately, the question that we, as well as those in power responsible for public welfare, must ask ourselves is: how much freedom (of speech) is too much freedom? Stay tuned to find out what happens next in Durov’s case.
