Russian President's Ally Accuses US Of Orchestrating Arrest Of Telegram Founder Pavel Durov In France: UAE Seeks 'Urgent' Consular Access

A senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Tuesday that Washington orchestrated the French arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, a messaging platform essential for communication in the Ukraine war. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates has formally requested access to Durov.

What Happened: Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, stated that Telegram is one of the few major internet platforms beyond U.S. control. Without providing evidence, he suggested that with the upcoming U.S. presidential election, President Joe Biden must gain control over Telegram, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

“On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, it is important for (President Joe) Biden to take Telegram under control,” Volodin said, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the UAE is “closely following the case” of Durov, a citizen of the Gulf state. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the urgency of providing him with “all the necessary consular services.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the welfare of UAE citizens, safeguarding their interests, and providing comprehensive support are key priorities for the UAE. The statement underscores the importance of ensuring Durov’s well-being during his detention.

Durov is the founder of the encrypted messaging app, which is headquartered in Dubai and has nearly 1 billion users. The app holds significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and former Soviet Union republics. Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition communities on the VKontakte social media platform, which he founded and later sold.

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Why It Matters: The arrest of Durov has triggered a series of reactions and concerns globally. According to Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, Durov faces 12 serious charges, including complicity in illegal online transactions, unauthorized cryptology services, child pornography distribution, drug-related offenses, organized fraud, and money laundering.

Prominent figures have also voiced their concerns. Nigel Farage, a UK Member of Parliament and ally of former President Donald Trump expressed his apprehensions, highlighting the importance of free speech and questioning if other tech leaders like Elon Musk could be next.

The arrest has also raised alarms in Russia. Telegram is heavily relied upon by the Russian military for battlefield communications. A Russian military blogger stated that Durov’s detention is akin to arresting “the head of communication of the Russian army.”

Moreover, online prediction markets are not optimistic about Durov’s release. According to Bitcoin BTC/USD and cryptocurrency bettors, there is only a 29% chance of Durov being released in August, reflecting the gravity of the situation.

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Photo courtesy: Hubert Burda Media via Flickr

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote