Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram who was arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide as it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for abuse of the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement.The arrest of the Telegram CEO prompted a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights, andDurov was still in custody on Monday
“With what exactly are they trying to incriminate Durov? Without , it would probably be wrong to make any statements,” Peskov said.Telegram was founded by Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he has sold.
The French foreign ministry, which is in charge of the procedure, did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. The Elysee presidential office also declined to comment, deferring to the foreign ministry.According to French law, any foreigner can be handed citizenship under the special rules provided he speaks French and “contributes through his outstanding work to France’s influence and the prosperity of its international economic relations”.
Russian state media reported that Durov also had citizenship of Russia and of St Kitts and Nevis. Reuters was unable to verify those reports. “I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone,” Durov said in April about his exit from Russia and search for a home for his company, which included stints in Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco.