Demonstrators have placed hundreds of paper airplanes in front of the diplomatic mission in support of the detained Telegram founder
Supporters of Telegram founder Pavel Durov have brought hundreds of paper planes, symbolizing the chat platform’s logo, to the French embassy in Moscow, in a demonstration of support following the Russian tech entrepreneur’s detention in Paris.
Durov, who is also a citizen of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, was taken into custody at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday and is set to appear in court on Sunday evening, according to French media. The country’s authorities had reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Durov, arguing that insufficient moderation allows for Telegram to be widely used by criminals.
On Sunday, supporters of the Telegram CEO gathered near the French embassy and covered the shrubs around it with paper airplanes. Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma Vladislav Davankov was among those who participated in the rally.
The top state official had previously demanded the immediate release of the social media platform’s founder, arguing that his “arrest could be politically motivated and used to gain access to the personal information of Telegram users.”
Durov’s detention has triggered a wave of indignation in Russia and abroad. US tech billionaire Elon Musk became one of the first globally known figures to react; he has launched the hashtag #FreePavel, and suggested that rising international pressure on freedom of speech could worsen.
The head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, Ekaterina Mizulina, has suggested that the French authorities hadn’t acted independently in their decision to detain Telegram’s CEO, calling the move “a continuation of the US sanctions policy.”
US investor David Sacks went further, insisting that Washington has violated its own constitutional freedoms by forcing its NATO ally France to arrest Durov.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Moscow has sent an official letter to Paris demanding consular access to Telegram’s founder.
Moscow’s embassy in Paris has insisted that French authorities explain the reasons for Durov’s arrest, and relayed that it is in contact with Durov’s lawyer.
Durov was born in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) in 1984. He left Russia in the mid-2010s and has since mainly lived in the UAE. In 2021, he was granted French citizenship. Last month, Durov wrote on his Telegram channel that the messaging platform had reached 950 million active monthly users.
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