The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it had requested consular services for Telegram founder Pavel Durov after the Dubai-based tech boss was arrested in France over alleged failings to curb criminality on the app.
“The UAE is closely following the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by the French authorities in Paris–Le Bourget Airport,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The UAE has submitted a request to the Government of the French Republic to provide him with all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner,” it added.
French authorities arrested Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire founder of the Telegram messaging platform, late Saturday. He is accused of failing to curb the spread of illegal content on Telegram, which has more than 900 million users. The company has rejected the accusations.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday denied any political motivations for the arrest, as the tech entrepreneur spent a second day in custody
Later on Monday, French authorities again extended Durov’s initial detention for questioning until Wednesday, according to a source close to the investigation.
Dubai-headquartered Telegram said on Sunday that “Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards,” the company said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.