Moscow: Relations between Russia and France reach new low after arrest of Telegram boss

PARIS, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Relations between Moscow and Paris have hit a low point following the arrest of Russian-born Telegram chief Pavel Durov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, after the tech billionaire's detention was extended until Wednesday.

It remains unclear whether he knew about the impending arrest in France. Durov's French lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Durov's arrest has brought relations between Moscow and Paris to their lowest ebb, Lavrov said on Tuesday, ending months of deterioration in relations between the two countries.

French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilize the country ahead of the Paris Olympics, in response to the country's tougher stance in the war in Ukraine – Russia denies these allegations.

Durov's pre-trial detention was extended by 48 hours on Monday, a spokesman for the Paris prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. After that, prosecutors must either press charges or release him. If he is charged, his flight risk status is a factor that judges must take into account under French law when assessing possible pre-trial detention.

“The allegations are indeed very serious,” Peskov said. “They require an equally serious evidence base. Otherwise they would be a direct attempt to restrict freedom of communication.”

Debate on freedom of speech

Durov's arrest has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech online. X owner Elon Musk said the right to free speech in Europe was under threat. The arrest also underscores a movement by governments around the world to crack down on illegal activities that flourish on some platforms.

Brazil's Supreme Court temporarily blocked Telegram nationwide in 2022 for failing to comply with court orders.

With almost a billion users, Telegram is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. It presents itself as a haven for free expression, but is also frequently used by right-wing extremists, anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists, as well as political dissidents.

The platform has become critical for battlefield communications in the war in Ukraine and is used by governments and soldiers on both sides of the war to share war-related news and propaganda.

Without providing any evidence, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the Russian State Duma, had previously stated that the United States was trying to exert control over Telegram through France.

“Telegram is one of the few and largest internet platforms over which the United States has no influence,” Volodin said in a post.

“On the eve of the US presidential election, it is important for (President Joe) Biden to get Telegram under control.”

The White House has not yet commented on Durov's arrest.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is considered an avid user of the app, said the arrest was “in no way a political decision.”

Russia had previously tried unsuccessfully to block Telegram and had repeatedly fined the company for failing to delete content deemed illegal.

Sign up Here.

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.opens new tab