Russia Criticizes France’s Double Standards over Telegram CEO’s Arrest
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has questioned whether international human rights organizations will criticize France for the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, similar to their past condemnation of Russia’s actions against the messaging app.
Zakharova’s remarks came after Durov, a Russian-born entrepreneur, was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday. According to French media, Durov is expected to appear in court on Sunday evening. French authorities reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Durov, citing concerns over inadequate moderation on Telegram, which they argue has enabled widespread criminal use.
Taking to Telegram on Sunday, Zakharova recalled how, in 2018, a coalition of 28 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Reporters Without Borders, condemned a Russian court's decision to block Telegram. The NGOs demanded that Moscow cease interfering with Telegram’s operations and ensure users' rights to publish and access information anonymously online.
These organizations urged the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the EU, the US, and other governments to oppose Russia’s actions and safeguard the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and privacy, Zakharova noted.
She reminded the NGOs that Russia’s legal issues with Telegram were centered around the technical aspects of its encryption system, similar to challenges faced by other nations. “Meanwhile, Durov remained free all this time, continuing to develop Telegram,” Zakharova emphasized.
She then posed a question to her audience: “What do you think, will they (the NGOs) appeal to Paris this time and demand Durov’s release, or will they remain silent?”
In the wake of the escalating conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022, Russian courts ordered the blocking of Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). However, Telegram remains operational in Russia.
Vladislav Davankov, deputy speaker of the Russian parliament, has also called on France to release Durov. He warned that Durov’s arrest “could be politically motivated and used to gain access to the personal information of Telegram users,” which he stated Moscow could not allow.
Earlier this year, Durov told American conservative journalist Tucker Carlson that he was receiving “too much attention” from the FBI and other US law enforcement agencies while in the country, as revealed in an interview released in April. Durov also claimed that US agencies had attempted to recruit Telegram employees to create a backdoor into the messenger.
The arrest of the tech billionaire by French authorities on Saturday reportedly involves charges related to alleged complicity in fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, and promoting terrorism. However, Ekaterina Mizulina, head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, suggested that France may be acting under pressure from the United States.