– I don't think there is a need to pass judgment at this point. [Paweł Durow – przyp. red.] is a French citizen and he has everything he needs to organize a legal defense – he said Dmitry Pieskow the day after the creator was released from custody Telegram.
Pavel Durov released from custody. Kremlin reacts
Spokesman The Kremlin he declared that Russia if necessary, will provide appropriate assistance entrepreneur who is under investigation.
Peskov stressed that Durov was still remains a citizen of Russia and suggested that he could count on support Moscow.
Representative Vladimir Putin expressed hope that the activities carried out against the 39-year-old will not turn into “political persecution”. – We know that the president France denies any connection with politics, but on the other hand, there are some accusations. We will watch the development of events – Peskov assessed.
Pavel Durov after four days in custody, He was released on bail of five million euros.The businessman has been banned from leaving France. He has been ordered to report to a police station twice a week until the investigation, which began on Wednesday, is complete. He will also be required to stay at home during certain hours.
Pavel Durov's activities under investigation
The judge who ruled on the investigation into the Russian entrepreneur indicated that the 39-year-old is suspected of participating in running an internet platform that allows for: conducting illegal transactions, publishing photographs depicting the exploitation of minors and trading in prohibited substances. The proceedings also concern suspicions of money laundering and refusing to cooperate with judicial authorities.
Durov's French lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, assessed that the allegations are “absurd”. He stated that the head of Telegram he did not engage in criminal activitieswhich were allegedly committed on the site. – Telegram fully complies with European regulations on digital technologies – he said.
Initiation of an investigation into Pavel Durov does not mean that the businessman will hear the verdict. As reported by Reuters, the proceedings do not even have to lead to the commencement of a criminal trial. The proceedings can last for years before the case is formally referred to court or the investigation is discontinued.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov can boast of having citizenship in addition to Russian. France and the United Arab Emirates. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to cooperate with the government there and closing down opposition figures on the second platform he ran at the time, VKontakte. The businessman moved his business to Dubai, where he also settled. “I'd rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov said in April, as quoted by Reuters.
“Russian Mark Zuckerberg”as some call him, founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai. Five years later, the Russian government blocked the messenger's use in the country. However, the ban was lifted three years later.
Telegram, whose value is calculated by Bloomberg's Billionaire Index on $9.15 billion brings together approx. 900 million users around the world. In many countries, it is the main tool for online communication, from chat conversations to the publication of government statements.
Critics of the platform accuse its representatives of pursuing policies that encourage the spread of harmful and criminal content on the internet. This includes disinformation, conspiratorial content, and hate speech.
The platform is especially popular in Russia, Ukraine, IranWhether India. Western media outlets point out that it is favored by white supremacists and terrorist groups, including ISIS. They also claim that the system for moderating extremist content is much weaker than other social networking sites.
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