Pavel Durov Detained by French Police

PARIS (Reuters) – Russia-born billionaire and Telegram owner Pavel Durov was detained for questioning by French police on Monday, according to local news channel franceinfo. His arrest occurred at the weekend.

“The police custody is continuing on Monday, …and may last up to four days,” the report noted.

The Paris public prosecution office has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment, and French authorities have not confirmed Durov’s arrest.

A police source indicated that Durov was detained at a private jet airport near Paris due to an arrest warrant. The investigation is led by a cybersecurity gendarmerie unit and the national anti-fraud police unit.

Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov “has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” according to a statement from the company on Sunday. They added, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”