Telegram issues statement on Durov’s arrest while French authorities refuse to cooperate

Telegram has issued its first official statement regarding Pavel Durov’s arrest. Currently, the CEO remains in the custody of the French authorities, and there seems to be no signs of cooperation with the Russian Embassy.

The current status of Durov’s charges is not clear, as French authorities haven’t issued an official statement yet. Pavel Durov was detained outside a Paris airport on 24th August. A report by The Washington Post has stated that Paris authorities have confirmed the detention and they will release an official statement on 26th August.

Telegram issues an official statement about Durov

On 25th August, 12:00 PM PST, Telegram issued an official statement via its News channel, expressing support for the CEO. Here’s what the message reads:

According to initial reports, the billionaire was arrested on the basis of several charges related to Telegram’s lack of moderation. However, French authorities have not officially confirmed if he has been charged with crimes.

French authorities refuse to cooperate with Russian embassy

After the billionaire’s detention, the Russian embassy reportedly trying reaching out to the authorities in France. The embassy requested for clarification regarding the details of his arrest and requested access to Pavel.

The Washington Post report mentions that an embassy spokesperson has posted on Telegram on 25th August, stating, “as of today, the French side has so far avoided cooperation on this issue.”

#FreePavel
pic.twitter.com/B7AcJWswMs— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2024

Soon after the detention, the price of Ton dipped by over 12% while social media is full of messages in support of Pavel Durov. In an X Post featuring an earlier interview with Pavel Durov, Elon Musk, used the hashtag “#FreePavel” in support of the billionaire.