Russia warned France about the arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO and founder of Telegram, suggesting the move might be politically motivated. Durov was detained in connection with an investigation into organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and the distribution of child pornography on the platform. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged France to provide substantial evidence for the charges, warning that failure to do so could be seen as an attempt to restrict freedom of speech. Durov, a tech billionaire with French and UAE citizenship, has faced legal challenges in Russia, where Telegram is widely used despite previous bans.
