France has issued an arrest warrant for Nikolai, the brother of Telegram founder and billionaire Pavel Durov, reports Politico, citing an administrative document provided to the publication by a source involved in the case, said that an arrest warrant for both Nikolai and Pavel Durov was issued on March 25 under charges including “complicity in the possession, distribution, offering, or providing access to pornographic images of minors in an organized group.”
According to the document, the warrant was related to Telegram’s refusal to cooperate with a French police investigation into child sexual abuse. Specifically, the arrest warrant was issued after Telegram “failed to respond” to an earlier court request to identify a user of the messenger whom the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit suspects of discussing “luring underage girls” to send “self-produced child pornography,” Politico writes. According to the publication, the document also states that the suspect told investigators about the rape of a minor.
The document also highlights Telegram’s “almost complete lack of cooperation” with both French and European authorities in other cases, as well as the use of the messenger by “numerous criminal groups.” At the same time, Politico emphasizes that the authorities have no suggestion that Pavel or Nikolai Durov were directly involved in the illegal activities that the police are investigating. The lawyer for the Telegram founder declined to comment on the investigation, Politico writes.
In addition to the Durov brothers, the brief also mentions Telegram Vice President Ilya Perekopsky, although the document does not specify whether a warrant has been issued for his arrest. The Paris prosecutor’s office declined to comment to Politico on the issuance of arrest warrants for Pavel and Nikolai Durov, citing the secrecy of the investigation. However, they noted that of the individuals mentioned in the case, only Pavel Durov was questioned, while Nikolai Durov’s whereabouts are unclear, Politico writes.
Durov was detained on the evening of August 24 at Paris’ Le Bourget airport, where he arrived from Azerbaijan, after exiting a private jet, French sources reported. TF1, The Parisian and BFMTV. On the evening of August 25, the Parisian investigating judge in charge of the judicial investigation, including those concerning the actions committed by the organized group, extended Durov’s detention, newspapers reported The Figaro and Provence citing a source close to the investigation. On August 26, the Telegram founder’s detention was extended for another 48 hours.
Prosecutor’s Office of Paris reportedthat Durov was questioned as part of an investigation into an unnamed individual in connection with multiple cybercrimes. The individual is charged with refusing to cooperate with authorities, as well as complicity in the possession and distribution of pornographic images of minors; the acquisition, transportation, storage, sale or transfer of drugs; and fraud as part of an organized group. Reuters celebratedthat the investigation is being carried out by the French cybercrime unit and the national anti-fraud office.
On the evening of August 25, Telegram commented for the first time on the detention of its founder. The platform’s message said that the messenger complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that its moderation system complies with industry standards and is “constantly being improved.” “It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owner are responsible for the abuse of this platform,” the message noted. The company added that the billionaire has nothing to hide and “travels frequently in Europe.”
Durov is simultaneously a citizen of four countries – Russia, the state St. Kitts and Neviswhich is located in the Caribbean, France and the UAE. Durov received a French passport in August 2021. Information about Durov’s four citizenships was confirmed by Politico, citing an administrative document.
Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova reported On August 25, Moscow sent a note demanding access to Durov, but, according to it, the French authorities consider his French citizenship to be his primary one. The Russian Embassy in France asked the French authorities for an explanation of the reasons for Durov’s detention, and also demanded that his rights be protected and that consular access to him be granted, but the French authorities have so far avoided interacting with the Russian embassy on this issue, the Russian embassy said in a statement. UAE Foreign Ministry reported On August 26, he also demanded that France provide Durov with access to all necessary consular services, emphasizing that Dubai is closely monitoring the case of the Telegram founder. According to a source close to Durov, the Telegram founder refused the UAE’s help. A representative of the Paris prosecutor’s office told Politico that “any person of foreign nationality in police custody has the right to contact the consular offices of his country,” without specifying whether Durov had made such a request.
