The French arrest of the Telegram founder is similar to the Wikileaks case, and Russia strongly protests.

The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov on criminal charges is similar to that of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram app. (Source: Reuters)

Pavel Durov, 39, a businessman of Russian origin, born in Leningrad and currently holding Russian, French, UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean) citizenship, was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport at approximately 8 PM on August 24 (local time).

He founded Telegram in 2013 and emphasized that the platform prioritizes privacy and opposes government censorship.

Following his arrest, a judicial source in Brussels, Belgium, analyzed: "Durov's case actually mirrors Assange's. In both cases, the founder of a major independent international media outlet was targeted through the use of criminal charges."

According to sources, Durov's French citizenship would give prosecutors more flexibility. However, the sources suggest that regardless of the Telegram founder's passport, the media would continue to portray Durov as a Russian citizen, significantly reducing his chances of European public support.

Earlier, French television channel LCI TV reported that Durov had been arrested and speculated that the Telegram founder could face charges of terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and using child pornography.

On August 25, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova denounced the arrest of Pavel Durov as an attack on freedom of speech and information.

On Telegram, Ms. Moskalkova wrote: “The real reason behind the arrest of Mr. Pavel Durov is clearly that they are trying to shut down Telegram, an online platform where you can find out what is really happening in the world .”

Russian human rights officials criticized Durov's arrest as a "blatant violation" of freedom of speech and another example of "the double standards that democratic nations impose on fundamental human rights, while in reality trying to trample on them."

Moskalkova sarcastically remarked, "Instead of fighting crime, discrimination, and other human rights violations, France is trying to completely control public opinion."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vu-phap-bat-giu-nha-sang-lap-telegram-giong-nhu-vu-wikileaks-nga-phan-doi-manh-283877.html