by Jake Sanders, Editor
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, would not have jeopardized his own safety by traveling to Paris if he believed the French authorities were genuinely intent on arresting him, according to his former press secretary, Georgy Loboushkin, who spoke to RT. Loboushkin suspects that the arrest order for Durov may have originated from Washington.
Durov was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday upon arriving from Azerbaijan via private jet. French media reports indicate that prosecutors in Paris intend to charge the 39-year-old with involvement in drug trafficking, pedophilia, and fraud, claiming that Telegram’s inadequate content moderation, robust encryption, and perceived lack of cooperation with law enforcement enable criminal activities on the platform.
“It’s quite puzzling why he ignored his own safety and chose to land in Paris,” Loboushkin remarked to RT on Sunday. “He has consistently demonstrated caution in such matters and has frequently stated that going to jail serves no purpose.”
Loboushkin suggests that the Russian-born businessman likely did not realize a warrant for his arrest was being issued, or believed that, due to Telegram’s adherence to local laws and sanctions, he wouldn’t face significant consequences.
“I believe the threat isn’t from the EU or France,” Loboushkin stated. “It’s probably coming from the United States, which has been pursuing Pavel Durov for a long time, and Durov has consistently acknowledged this.”
The former spokesman noted that during an interview with Tucker Carlson, Durov mentioned that he and his team are experiencing pressure or surveillance from the FBI. He argued that the underlying issues are clear, so discussing the motivations of the French authorities who arrested him is irrelevant, as they play no significant role in this matter.
In his April interview with Carlson, Durov expressed that his visits to the US attracted undue attention from law enforcement, claiming that American intelligence had tried to recruit one of his employees to create a backdoor in the app for monitoring Telegram users.
Others have echoed the sentiment that the US may be involved in Durov’s arrest. Ekaterina Mizulina, head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, stated on Sunday that the US is at the center of the situation, suggesting that Washington aims to limit the free flow of information and undermine TON, a blockchain project initially created by Telegram’s founders. She argued that with significant Russian investments in TON, the arrest represents a continuation of US sanctions.
American investor David Sacks remarked on Sunday that Durov’s dedication to free speech and user privacy has made him a target for US authorities. On X, he described the use of allied nations to bypass First Amendment rights as a modern form of rendition, likening it to the US’s methods of transporting terror suspects after the September 11 attacks.