Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s Detention Extended After Paris Arrest

Pavel Durov, the co-founder and CEO of Telegram, remains detained by French authorities following his arrest on Saturday night.

On Saturday, France’s Office for the Protection of Minors (OFMIN) issued an arrest warrant for Durov based on allegations of facilitating organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberbullying, and promoting terrorism, according to an anonymous source cited by news agency AFP. Durov is reportedly accused of enabling said crimes by failing to enforce a content moderation program to prevent the misuse of the platform.

According to The Guardian, Durov’s detention was initially scheduled to end on Sunday night, but was extended by an investigating magistrate. The preliminary magisterial questioning period can last up to 96 hours, after which the judge can release or press charges against the defendant.

Pavel Durov, 39, who was born in Russia and holds citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, was arrested on Aug. 24 at Le Bourget airport north of Paris. He was taken into custody immediately after landing his private jet, which had departed from Azerbaijan.

The Open Network’s TON token, a blockchain protocol integrated with Telegram, fell sharply after Durov’s arrest, dropping around 14% from its Saturday opening price of $6.72, according to The Defiant’s crypto price feeds. However, TON has since bounced back 8% from its local low, last changing hands for $5.62.

Telegram’s Response

Telegram responded on social media, stating they comply with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — which prohibits “illegal content,” including “hate speech,” “terrorist content,” and “the sale of illegal goods and services” on online platforms. Telegram also claimed its content moderation is within “industry standards” and “constantly improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the statement read. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information.”

Telegram added that Durov has nothing to hide and usually travels around Europe.

Support for Durov

Prominent tech executives and representatives of the web3 industry took to X to comment on Durov’sarrest

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s chief scientist, voiced concerns despite previously criticizing Telegram’s encryption standards. “Given the info available so far, the charge seems to be just being ‘unmoderated’ and not giving up people’s data — this looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe.”

Elon Musk, the Tesla co-founder and owner of X, shared a previous interview between Durov and journalist Tucker Carlson with the hashtag #FreePavel.

Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble, a video-sharing platform promoting itself as opposing censorship, posted on X that he had left Europe after Durov’s arrest.

“I’ve just safely departed from Europe,” Pavlovski wrote. “France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech.”

Russia says France is “refusing to cooperate”

Russia is reportedly seeking answers from France about Durov’s arrest, however, the Russian embassy claims that France has been unresponsive so far.

“We immediately asked French authorities to explain the reasons for this detention and demanded that his rights be protected and that consular access be granted,” the Russian embassy said in a statement. “Up to now, the French side is refusing to cooperate on this question.”

Russia’s efforts to contact France regarding the case come despite Durov’s historically contentious relationship with the Russian government.

In 2014, Durov left Russia after refusing to shut down opposition groups on VKontakte (VK), the social network likened to “Russia’s Facebook” that he created in 2006. Durov and his brother Nikolai launched Telegram in 2013 in response to claimed disputes between the pair and VK’s Kremlin-linked owners.

Betters on Polymarket, a prediction platform, offer long odds on the release of Durov from detention. Polymarket traders are currently betting that there is a 28% likelihood that Durov will be freed by Aug. 31, down from 50% on Sunday. The total amount wagered on the market is roughly $85,000.