Russia-France tensions flare following Telegram CEO's arrest: reports

Reported by The Block: Russia’s Foreign Ministry has demanded consular access to Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov following his arrest on Saturday in France, with Russian officials reacting angrily to news of the arrest, according to the Wall Street Journal.

French authorities plan to address Durov’s address in a statement on Monday, according to NPR.

Russian officials have "reacted angrily" to the arrest of Telegram's founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, on Saturday as he stepped off his private plane at Paris's Le Bourget airport, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.

The Russian Embassy in France released a statement early Sunday alleging the French authorities were refusing to engage with their attempts at accessing Durov. "After the news of P.V. Durov's detention appeared in the media, we immediately requested clarification from the French authorities about the reasons and demanded that they ensure the protection of his rights and provide consular access. As of today, the French side has so far avoided engaging on this issue. We are in contact with P.V. Durov's lawyer," a translated version of the statement reads.

Some Russian officials have described the arrest as an indirect hostile act towards Russia, the Wall Street Journal report states. While some reports indicate Durov is a dual citizen of France and Russia, others state he has dual French and U.A.E. citizenship.

French officials are expected to address the arrest in a statement on Monday, the Paris prosecutor's office reportedly told NPR. According to French media, Durov could face charges related to Telegram's operations and the dearth of moderation on the platform, from money-laundering charges to "pedocriminal content."

Telegram also addressed the arrest for the first time on Sunday, claiming, "Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act," and, "Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe," in its statement posted to X.

While some news outlets have stated that Durov could face 20 years in prison, that figure was not present in initial reporting by French media.

Many significant figures across the crypto industry have expressed support for Durov following his arrest, including X platform owner Elon Musk, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin (who noted his opinion was based on information available so far), TRON founder Justin Sun, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, and others.