Telegram app CEO freed from custody; will appear in court

French prosecutors on Wednesday freed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov from police custody after four days of questioning over allegations that the messaging app is being used for illegal activitiesDurov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a judicial inquiry opened last month involving 12 alleged criminal violationsAn investigating judge has ended Pavel Durovs police custody and will have him brought to court for a first appearance and a possible indictment a statement from the Paris prosecutors office saidAllegations against the Russiaborn Durov who is a French citizen include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking fraud and abetting organized crime transactions and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by lawDurovs arrest in France has caused outrage in Russia with some government officials calling it politically motivated and proof of the Wests double standard on freedom of speech The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018 Russian authorities themselves tried to block the Telegram app but failed withdrawing the ban in 2020In Iran where Telegram is widely used despite being officially banned after years of protests challenging the countrys Shiite theocracy Durovs arrest in France prompted comments from the Islamic Republics supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weighed in with veiled praise for France for being strict against those who violate your governance of the internetFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Durovs arrest wasnt a political move but part of an independent investigation Macron posted on X that his country is deeply committed to freedom of expression but freedoms are upheld within a legal framework both on social media and in real life to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rightsIn a statement posted on its platform after Durovs arrest Telegram said it abides by EU laws and its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improvingIt is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform Telegrams post said Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information Were awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation Telegram is with you allIn addition to Russia and France Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St Kitts and NevisThe UAE Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it was closely following the case and had asked France to provide Durov with all the necessary consular services in an urgent mannerKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped that Durov has all the necessary opportunities for his legal defense and added that Moscow stands ready to provide all necessary assistance and support to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizenBut the situation is complicated by the fact that he is also a citizen of France Peskov saidTelegram which says it has nearly a billion users worldwide was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself faced pressure from Russian authoritiesIn 2013 he sold his stake in VKontakte a popular Russian social networking site which he launched in 2006The company came under pressure during the Russian governments crackdown following mass prodemocracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012Durov had said authorities demanded that the site take down online communities of Russian opposition activists and later that it hand over personal data of users who took part in the 20132014 popular uprising in Ukraine which eventually ousted a proKremlin presidentDurov said in a recent interview that he had turned down these demands and left the countryThe demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down on the digital space and Telegram and its proprivacy rhetoric offered a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share newsTelegram also continues to be a popular source of news in Ukraine where both media outlets and officials use it to share information on the war and deliver missile and air raid alertsWestern governments have often criticized Telegram for a lack of content moderation which experts say opens up the messaging app for potential use in money laundering drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to the sexual exploitation of minorsIn 2022 Germany issued fines of USD 5 million against Telegrams operators for failing to establish a lawful way to report illegal content or to name an entity in Germany to receive official communication Both are required under German laws that regulate large online platformsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute 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