Telegram founder Pavel Durov remains to be making an attempt to determine why he was detained in France final August, although the motives might have been political and tied to authorities’ efforts to crack down on alleged illicit exercise on the messaging platform.
That was one of many key takeaways from Durov’s interview with Tucker Carlson, which premiered Tuesday on YouTube.
In his first interview since his Aug. 24, 2024, arrest at Bourget Airport exterior Paris, Durov mentioned French authorities appeared primarily focused on how Telegram works — “as if it’s some type of thriller,” he quipped.
“[W]e’re an enormous firm, we’re audited by a Massive 4 accounting agency, we work with the most important monetary establishments […] we spend thousands and thousands of {dollars} each quarter on authorized compliance […] to verify we don’t violate legal guidelines anyplace and we function in nearly 200 nations,” mentioned Durov.
“So it was very complicated for me to get detained in Paris and be taught that Telegram did one thing flawed or didn’t course of some requests,” he mentioned.
Durov was indicted on six expenses by French prosecutors in August 2024 for alleged complicity in legal exercise, refusing to answer French authorities, cash laundering, legal affiliation, offering crypto companies with out correct declaration, and involvement within the unfold of illicit content material allegedly facilitated by Telegram’s restricted moderation. On the time, prosecutors mentioned he may withstand 10 years in jail.
“Once I realized extra about it, I spotted that we did truly nothing flawed,” he mentioned, since French authorities allegedly didn’t comply with due course of in searching for data from Durov or Telegram.
When Carlson pressed Durov on the fees in opposition to him and why his actions stay restricted, Durov replied, “I’m nonetheless looking for out, to be sincere. I’m confused.” He continued:
“At first, they mentioned, ‘Oh, you failed to answer our authorized requests, and that’s why you’re complicit.’ However to start with, it’s not true that we didn’t reply to legally binding authorized requests, and secondly, it’s a really intensive interpretation of complicity even for the French […] authorized and judicial system.”
Durov’s attorneys described his detainment as “unprecedented.”
Associated: TON Society celebrates Pavel Durov leaving France as free speech win
Tucker Carlson: Telegram founder’s arrest was an act of “humiliation”
Through the interview, Carlson criticized not simply the truth that Durov was detained, however the method during which it was carried out.
“Clearly, they went manner out of their solution to humiliate you,” Carlson mentioned.
Durov agreed, noting that his attorneys advised him the prosecutor’s workplace sometimes operates out of the general public eye and barely points press statements. That was “not the case with me,” he added.
Whereas Carlson questioned the silence of so-called civil libertarians, the TON Group reported that greater than 9 million Telegram customers signed a letter calling for Durov’s launch.
Whereas the dialog with Carlson marked Durov’s first public interview since his arrest, he had damaged his silence shortly after the incident final September, stating that Telegram was ready to exit nations that don’t align with the platform’s dedication to free speech.
Telegram has since grown into one of many world’s largest messaging platforms, reaching one billion month-to-month lively customers as of March, in accordance with business information.
Journal: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a criminal offense? Crypto attorneys weigh in
