Who is the CEO of Telegram and why was he arrested?
Pavel Durov is the CEO of the notorious messaging app: Telegram, which has more than 700 million monthly active users worldwide. Born in Russia, Mr. Durov had left his country after refusing to cooperate with the secret service and provide encrypted data of his first social network’s users. His app was banned by the Kremlin from 2018 to 2021 but, it is important to mention, that it has been, and is being continuously used by both Russia and Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. Durov became a French citizen in 2021 but lives in Dubai. He is father of 5 children, which he shares with 2 ex-girlfriends. On Saturday August 24th he was arrested at Le Bourget Airport, about five miles north of the Paris, after landing on a private plane from Azerbaijan. French prosecutors said he was detained in connection with a wide-ranging investigation opened last month about criminal activity on the platform.
Emanuel Macron, President of France has made clear that France is "deeply committed " to freedom of expression.
Elon Musk launched the #freePavel
Ali Khamenei, leader of Iran praised France and its policy.
People from all over the world started sharing opionions about the arrest.