Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested By French

Sounds Like Political Persecution to Me!

John R. Houk, Blog Editor

© August 26, 2024

Pavel Durov (Bloomberg-Getty Image on Wired.com)

Pavel Durov is the founder and face of the app Telegram. Durov was arrested in France for nebulous reasons related to Telegram operations. It sounds – at least French officially – Durov was arrested for not cooperating with police investigations of Telegram users involved in sex-crimes, terrorism and (GASP!) misinformation. I first heard of the from a Telegram Channel user (apologies folks, I can’t recall where and who) who linked to the British The Guardian under the title posted 8/24/24:

Telegram app founder Pavel Durov reportedly arrested at French airport

I am a Telegram user and so this got my attention. (I don’t have a lot of subscribers on my Channel. My Telegram usage thus is more toward gaining the anti-narrative info Globalist hate.) I share summaries of Blog posts on my Channel for any who choose to subscribe: https://t.me/slantrigh2.

Liberty-minded individuals have called into question the official French legal reasoning, I while suspect Durov’s Telegram is not cooperating with Globalist censorship of Truth is the actual arrest cause.

Keep in mind, more often than not, that what a Globalist will label as MIS-DIS-MAL-Information is more than likely TRUTH or at the very least an opinion formed from facts Globalists desire to be hidden.

Dr. Robert Malone (a virulent anti-narrative individual) had this opinion of Durov’s arrest posted on his Telegram Channel Sunday August 25, 2024:

“MSM wants you to believe the story that the arrest of Pavel Durov was due to his aiding and abetting of criminal activity, due to a shortage of "moderation" on Telegram.

Just no.

Don't fall for the propaganda.

This is all about the Western hegemony trying to get a backdoor into Telegram (an encryption key, so to speak) to spy on their "enemies" who use Telegram - which very well may include us.

They want total state control of media.

More #PsyWar”

Since reading The Guardian post, I have searched for updates on the Durov arrest. In reading some of those updates I became reminded how Leftists and Globalists view Americans who politically seek American Exceptionalism, Conservative Values, American Patriotism and you get the picture. That reminder came in referencing Durov’s interview with Tucker Carlson in April 2024.

Tucker Carlson is inclined to reveal observable facts even if it stains the propaganda Narrative of Leftists and Globalists. I was unsurprised the Media (probably Mockingbird – SEE: HERE & HERE) reports referencing that interview made no bones about labelling Tucker Carlson as FAR RIGHT.

The French Le Monde (an English version) sticks up for French policing (posted 8/26/24 “12:24 pm (Paris), updated at 1:03 pm”):

“Above all, many of the criticisms leveled at France after Durov's arrest are, whether in good or bad faith, aimed at the wrong target. Contrary to Tucker Carlson's claims, the Telegram CEO was not arrested for refusing to "censor" political opinions. The French investigation does not concern "opinion crimes," but quite standard offenses, including the dissemination of child pornography. As in any democracy, Durov is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to defend himself in a public trial, should he be indicted.”

The Le Monde quote “presumed innocent” is undoubtedly aimed at American audiences for those who might have paid attention in civics classes in which one of the American Rights is Innocent Until Proven Guilty.

That ain’t the way it works in European Judicial Systems. If one is indicted across the pond, one must prove one is innocent. There is no legal presumption of innocence.

NDTV World has the most evenhanded update on the political persecution of Pavel Durov, but still has the Tucker Carlson label of FAR RIGHT. Ergo, use some critical thinking as you weigh the cross post I share below.

JRH 8/26/24

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Pavel Durov Has "Nothing To Hide", Says Telegram After France Arrest

"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. Its moderation is within industry standards," said Telegram.

Pavel Durov says that Telegram's mission is to allow other people to express their freedom. (File) [Pavel Durov - Reuters Photo on NDTV]

By Agence France-Presse [AFP Wire Service]

Updated: August 26, 2024 6:47 pm IST

NDTV World

[NDTV Disclaimer: “(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)”]

Paris: France held the Russian-born founder of Telegram Pavel Durov in custody for a second day of questioning on Monday over alleged offences related to the popular but controversial messaging app, which insisted he had "nothing to hide".

His arrest after flying into the Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday is the latest extraordinary twist in the career of one of the world's most influential tech icons.

The detention of Durov, 39, was extended beyond Sunday night by the investigating magistrate who is handling the case, according to a source close to the investigation. This initial period of detention for questioning can last up to a maximum of 96 hours.

When this phase of detention ends, the judge can then decide to free Durov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion, or press charges and remand him in further custody.

Russia has accused France of "refusing to cooperate" while fellow tech mogul Elon Musk swept to Durov's defence and called for his release. Durov holds a French passport in addition to other nationalities.

Durov had arrived in Paris from Baku, Azerbaijan, and was planning to have dinner in the French capital, a source close to the case said.

He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a personal assistant who always accompany him, added the source, asking not to be named.

France's OFMIN, an office tasked with preventing violence against minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov in a preliminary investigation into alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism, another source said.

Durov is accused of failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform.

Telegram said in response 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," it added. "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform."

'Assault on basic human rights'

Durov founded Telegram in 2013 after his first project, the Russian social network VKontakte (VK), ran into ownership difficulties he blamed on the Kremlin. He left Russia in 2014.

Telegram has become hugely popular partly due to the ease of viewing and posting videos on its messaging "channels".

But critics accuse it of hosting often illegal content ranging from extreme sexual imagery, disinformation and also services for buying drugs.

Russia's embassy to Paris said it had demanded access to Durov but had had no response from France, saying "the French side is refusing to cooperate".

Musk, who leads the Tesla car group and the X social media platform, formerly Twitter, posted the hashtag #FreePavel on X and commented in French, "Liberte Liberte! Liberte?" (Freedom Freedom! Freedom?).

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1827572720936030703

US whistleblower Edward Snowden, who took asylum in Russia, blasted "an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association", saying he was saddened Paris had "descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications."

'Express their freedoms'

One of the key questions is why Durov flew into France when he would have likely been aware he was wanted in the country. "Perhaps he had a feeling of impunity," said a source close to the case, asking not to be named.

Telegram, an encrypted messaging app based in Dubai, has positioned itself as a "neutral" alternative to US-owned platforms, which have been criticised for their commercial exploitation of users' personal data.

It also plays a key role in the war between Ukraine and Russia after Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

The app is used by Kyiv including President Volodymyr Zelensky in regular video statements to push Ukraine's message across but also by the so-called Russian "Z-bloggers" who strongly back the war and report from the front.

In a rare interview given to right-wing talk show host Tucker Carlson in April, Durov predicted Telegram would have one billion users next year and insisted that despite his wealth his priority was to be "free".

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"My mission in life was to allow other people to also become free... and using the platforms that we created my hope was that they could express their freedoms. This is the mission of Telegram."

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