Russian Officials React to Durov’s Arrest

Russian officials have reacted angrily to the arrest of Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, at Paris’s Le Bourget airport, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal.

The Russian Embassy in France released a statement early Sunday, claiming that French authorities were refusing to engage with their attempts to access Durov. The statement read: “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.”

Some Russian officials described the arrest as an indirect hostile act towards Russia. While some reports indicate Durov holds dual citizenship in 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, as reported by the Paris prosecutor’s office to NPR. French media suggests Durov could face charges related to Telegram’s operations, including money-laundering and “pedocriminal content.”

On Sunday, Telegram addressed the arrest, stating, “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act,” and affirmed that “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”

While some outlets reported that Durov could face up to 20 years in prison, that specific figure was not included in earlier reports.

Many prominent figures in the crypto industry expressed support for Durov following his arrest, including X platform owner Elon Musk, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, TRON founder Justin Sun, and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, among others.

The price of Toncoin has fallen about 13% since news of the arrest broke, according to The Block’s Toncoin Price Page.