The United Arab Emirates and Russia have requested consular access to Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, who was arrested in Paris on Sunday for allegedly failing to cooperate in a criminal investigation related to the messaging app.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced early Tuesday that it is “closely following” Durov’s situation and has asked the French government to provide him with urgent consular services.
Russia’s embassy in Paris has also formally requested consular access, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, as reported by the TASS news agency.
Durov, who holds citizenship in France, Russia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the UAE, is facing a judicial investigation in France involving 12 criminal charges, including cybercrime.
Telegram responded to the arrest, stating, “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation practices meet industry standards and are continually improving.” The company added that “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” and criticized the notion that a platform or its owner should be held responsible for its misuse.
Following Durov’s arrest, prominent figures such as Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden condemned the arrest.
Under French law, Durov can be detained for up to 96 hours, until Wednesday evening.
