Telegram CEO unveils to Carlson if he was ‘ever arrested by Putin’
(MENAFN) Telegram founder Pavel Durov told journalist Tucker Carlson that he has never been arrested by Russian authorities, despite leaving the country over a decade ago due to political tensions. In a newly released interview, Carlson asked the Russian-born tech entrepreneur if he had ever faced arrest in Russia, to which Durov responded, “No.”
Carlson highlighted the irony that while Durov had traveled through countries considered authoritarian by the West without issue, he was arrested in France—part of the so-called “free West.” Durov agreed, saying Paris was “the most unexpected place to get arrested.”
In August 2024, Durov was detained at Paris–Le Bourget Airport by French police on 12 charges related to Telegram’s alleged role in facilitating illegal content, including child exploitation and drug trafficking. He was barred from leaving France for seven months and released in March after posting €5 million ($5.4 million) bail. Durov has firmly denied the charges, calling them baseless.
Carlson noted the muted public reaction to Durov’s arrest, contrasting it with how the world would likely respond if tech figures like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg were similarly detained. Durov responded, “I hope it had nothing to do with my ethnicity,” adding that such reasoning would be deeply concerning.
The arrest prompted international criticism, with some accusing France of suppressing free speech. In May, Durov accused the French government of pressuring Telegram to censor conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections, a claim French authorities have denied.
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