France Detained Pavel Durov to Shut Down Telegram: Russia
Pavel Durov. Photo: X/ @Alex_Oloyede2
August 25, 2024 Hour: 11:04 am
French authorities accuse him of “all inconceivable evils” because their goal is to control freedom of expression, Moskalkova said.
On Sunday, Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatiana Moskalkova, accused France of detaining Pavel Durov, the creator of the encrypted messaging network Telegram, in an attempt to shut down the platform.
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“It is absolutely clear that the real reason for Pavel Durov’s arrest is the attempt to close Telegram, the Internet platform where one can learn the truth about what is happening in the world,” she said, claiming that Paris is accusing Durov of “all the conceivable and inconceivable evils,” ranging from drug trafficking to pedophilia and terrorism, because their goal is “to achieve total control over freedom of expression.”
Moskalkova urged “the heirs of the Great French Revolution” to remember a saying: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
“The detention of Telegram’s founder in France is a grave violation of the right to freedom of expression,” she added, calling it a clear manifestation of the “double standards on the most basic human rights by a number of countries that praise democracy while in reality seek to trample it.”
Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova assured that her country has sent a note to the French Foreign Affairs Ministry in order to gain access to Durov, who was born in Russia, resided in Dubai, and holds French citizenship, as recalled by the RIA Novosti agency.
She also called on 26 Western non-governmental organizations to defend Durov with the same fervor they showed when they criticized Russian authorities for their decision to block the messaging network in 2018. “What do you think? Will they demand this time that Paris release Durov? Or will they bite their tongues?” Zakharova said.
Durov was detained last night as he disembarked from his private plane on the runway of Paris-Le Bourget airport, arriving from Azerbaijan. As part of a preliminary investigation, the National Criminal Investigation Directorate’s Juvenile Division issued an arrest warrant against this 39-year-old billionaire.
French authorities argue that the lack of moderation on Telegram and Durov’s lack of cooperation with the authorities, as well as the tools the platform offers, such as disposable numbers and encryption, make him complicit in crimes like drug trafficking, pedophilia, and fraud.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
