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Who is Telegram CEO Pavel Durov? What to know about his arrest in France

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Who is Telegram CEO Pavel Durov? What to know about his arrest in France

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov was detained at the Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday, after arriving by a private plane from Baku, Azerbaijan.

He is accused of having failed to moderate criminal activity on the platform.

Here is what we know about Durov, Telegram and the case:

Who is Durov and why was he detained?

Russian-born Durov, 39, co-founded what became one of Russia’s most popular social media networks, VKontakte, in his native St Petersburg, in 2007. He has been compared with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.

In 2013, he grabbed global headlines by publicly offering a job to whistleblower and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

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In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this year, Durov claimed that he was under pressure to give Russian authorities access to data from accounts of Ukrainian pro-democracy activists in 2014 — and that he refused to do so.

As the Russian government tightened its grip on the internet and President Vladimir Putin’s allies started to take control of VKontakte, Durov sold his stake in the platform in 2014 and fled the country.

He then shifted his focus to Telegram, an app he co-founded with his brother Nikolai when he was 28.

Durov has been living in Dubai and is a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and France, according to Telegram. It is unclear whether he has given up his Russian citizenship.

Business magazine Forbes estimates his wealth at $15.5bn, as of Sunday morning.

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Co-founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona [File: Albert Gea/Reuters]

Durov has maintained a hands-off stance on moderation, positioning the app as private and censorship. Nonetheless, some experts have cautioned that this approach has led to Telegram becoming a hotspot for illicit activity and extremism.

According to a report by the AFP news agency, he was detained “over offences alleged to have been conducted on Telegram, ranging from fraud, to drug trafficking, cyberbullying and organised crime, including promoting terrorism and fraud.”

While the European Union and the United States have fined other social media platforms for violations their rules and regulations, and their lawmakers have hauled up leaders of digital firms for public hearings, they are not known to have arrested major tech leaders.

In 2016, a senior Facebook executive was arrested in Brazil after the company didn’t give information from WhatsApp related to a drug trafficking investigation. The parent company of Facebook, which was renamed Meta in 2021, owns WhatsApp.

What is Telegram?

Launched in August 2013, Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app. The platform allows users to send messages, photos and large files as well as create groups for “up to 200,000 people or channels for broadcasting to unlimited audiences”.

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These features, coupled with the app’s minimal moderation, made it an ideal venue for individuals and groups banned from other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Since its creation, the platform has surged in popularity; it now has nearly one billion active users and has emerged as an important communication tool in conflict zones, including the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Telegram development team is currently based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

According to a report by Statista, Telegram is the third most downloaded messenger app globally following WhatsApp and Snapchat.

In 2023, India, Russia, and the US were the app’s top markets based on download figures. In 2021, it was the most downloaded app worldwide with one billion downloads.

Telegram says that Durov “supports Telegram financially and ideologically”. The platform specifically stays away from “politically motivated censorship”, however, it specifies that it does block “terrorist bots and channels”.

The platform makes money through revenue from advertising and a premium subscription programme launched two years ago.

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“We are hoping to become profitable next year, if not this year,” Durov told the Financial Times in March.

“The main reason why we started to monetise is because we wanted to remain independent,” he said. “Generally speaking, we see value in [an IPO] as a means to democratise access to Telegram’s value.”

The Telegram messaging app is seen on an iPhone
The Telegram messaging app is seen on an iPhone screen in Warsaw, Poland, on August 25, 2024 [Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

How has Russia responded to Durov’s arrest?

The relationship between Russia and Durov has been fraught with tension. After Durov left the country, Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 when the app refused to provide state security services with access to users’ encrypted messages. The ban was lifted in 2020, though the app — like other online platforms in Russia — faces censorship and government scrutiny.

However, after the entrepreneur’s arrest, Russia was quick to respond, and its embassy in France demanded consular access to Durov and demanded that he have access to his rights.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna, accused France of acting as a “totalitarian” society — while also calling Durov “naive” for believing in Western claims to defend the freedom of speech.

“Some naive persons still don’t understand that if they play more or less visible role in international information space it is not safe for them to visit countries which move towards much more totalitarian societies,” Ulyanov wrote on X.

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According to Ben Aris, Russia watcher and editor of the agency bne IntelliNews, Durov was flying from Azerbaijan where Putin has been for the last few days.

“The talk was that he was there wanting to lobby Putin in order to prevent having Telegram blocked or turned off inside Russia,” Aris told Al Jazeera.

Protesters hold a portrait of messaging app Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov designed as an icon, protesting against the blocking of the app
Protesters hold a portrait of messaging app Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov designed as an icon, protesting against the blocking of the app in Russia, during a May Day rally in St Petersburg, Russia, on May 1, 2018 [Dmitri Lovetsky/AP]

Separately, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday wrote on his Telegram channel: “He thought his biggest problems were in Russia and left … he wanted to be a brilliant ‘citizen of the world’, living well without a homeland.”

“He miscalculated. To our common enemies, he is still Russian – unpredictable and dangerous, of different blood.”

What about other reactions to Durov’s arrest?

Elon Musk, the owner of X, posted #FreePavel on the platform.

“It’s 2030 in Europe and you are being executed for liking a meme,” he added.

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“Durov’s arrest, aside from being incredibly unjust based on the current charges (it’s clear that Durov isn’t involved in terrorism or arms trafficking), is also a significant blow to freedom of speech,” Georgy Alburov, a Russian political activist with the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on X.

“Freedom for Pavel Durov,” he added.

Edward Snowden called the arrest “an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association”.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson also hit out at the French government.

Former US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, who dropped out of the race last week to endorse Donald Trump for the November election, also backed Durov in a post on X.

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Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money

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Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has sued his parents for millions of dollars, accusing them of siphoning large amounts of his money into financial accounts they managed for him and then using some of the cash to pay their own expenses.

Bohm’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Philadelphia court, comes after he began to review his personal and financial affairs in recent months, and said that his parents refused to give him access to the accounts or provide him with the information he sought about them.

They sought to “freeze” him out of four accounts — established as limited liability companies — and he now believes they “converted a sizeable amount” of his money from those accounts “to their own use,” the lawsuit said.

By the time he sought the information, his parents had already transferred millions of dollars from his personal accounts to the accounts they controlled, the lawsuit said.

Bohm’s parents, Daniel and Lisa Bohm, denied doing anything wrong and, through their lawyer, said they are “deeply saddened by the allegations” and will aggressively defend themselves. Alec Bohm has had full access to the accounts and his parents are paying his expenses on their personal credit cards, their lawyer, Robert Eckard, said in a statement.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the first inning in Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners, Oct. 10, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

“Mr. and Mrs. Bohm love their son very much and have always acted in his best interests, both personally and professionally, and still do so to this day,” Eckard said.

After Thursday’s 2026 season opening game, Bohm declined comment to reporters, saying “I’m not going to address any personal matters right now.”

Both parties say the first of the accounts was opened in 2019. His parents told him that they assigned themselves a 10% stake, strictly for administration purposes, and that Bohm was the “true” owner of all of the LLC’s assets, Bohm’s lawsuit said.

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The accounts had various purposes, such as investing in securities or buying real estate. Bohm’s lawsuit also said they used money from The Alec Bohm Foundation to pay their expenses.

Bohm’s lawsuit asks his parents to pay at least $3 million in damages, hand over control of the accounts and hire an accountant to track every dollar they transferred from Bohm’s personal accounts to the accounts they controlled.

Bohm, 29, has a $10.2 million contract with the Phillies for the 2026 baseball season. The lawsuit said his parents live in a recreational vehicle and travel the country.

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Rubio meets G7 ministers in France as US leads on Iran — allies under fire for tepid response

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Rubio meets G7 ministers in France as US leads on Iran — allies under fire for tepid response

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in France on Friday to attend the G7 foreign ministers meeting where he will deliver a clear message on U.S. priorities for the ongoing war with Iran.

In the days leading up to the meeting, other members have taken markedly different approaches to the war. Nearly all of Washington’s partners — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have reacted cautiously to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign and declined to participate in offensive operations, even as they condemn Iranian actions.

Before departing on Thursday, Rubio signaled a defiant approach to the talks: “I don’t work for France or Germany or Japan… the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States. I work for them,” he said in a video posted on X.

The divergence has drawn frustration from President Donald Trump, who has pressed allies to contribute more, particularly in securing key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. While some countries have signaled a willingness to support defensive or maritime security efforts, they have stopped short of joining direct military strikes.

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TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION

“The U.S. is constantly asked to help in wars and we have. But when we had a need, it didn’t get positive responses from NATO. A couple leaders said that Iran was not Europe’s war. Well, Ukraine isn’t our war, yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than anyone,” Rubio added.

“The Strait of Hormuz could be open tomorrow if Iran stops threatening global shipping, which is an outrage and a violation of international law. For all these countries that care about international law, they should be doing something about it,” he said before boarding his plane to France.

The remarks set the tone for a summit already marked by growing friction between Washington and some of its closest allies over how to handle the Iran conflict. Rubio has framed the stakes in stark terms. “Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years… Iran has been killing Americans and attacking Americans across this planet,” he said during a White House cabinet meeting, adding that allowing Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons would be “an unacceptable risk for the world.”

But even before Rubio arrived at the meeting, European officials were signaling a markedly different approach.

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“We need to exit from the war, not escalate this further, because the consequences for everybody around the world are quite severe,” Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas said during a briefing on the sidelines of the G7 on Thursday.

JACK KEANE CALLS OUT NATO’S WEAKNESS AS SHIPPING CRISIS GRIPS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

(L/R, clockwise) French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meet during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025 (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

“It can only be a diplomatic solution… sit down and negotiate to have a way out,” she added.

The contrast between Rubio’s framing and Kallas’s message captures the core tension shaping the meeting.

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U.S. officials say Rubio is heading into the talks with a broader agenda that goes beyond Iran.

According to a State Department spokesperson, who spoke to Fox News Digital on background, Rubio will use the meeting to “advance key U.S. interests” and push discussions on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as “international burden sharing” and the overall effectiveness of the G7.

The U.S. is also expected to emphasize maritime security, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, while urging allies to take on a greater share of responsibilities in conflict zones and international organizations, the spokesperson said.

RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before boarding a plane as he is headed to France where he will take part in the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2026.  (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via Reuters)

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European officials have instead emphasized the broader risks of the conflict.

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said discussions at the G7 would build on a recent joint statement condemning Iran’s actions while also addressing maritime security concerns.

He said the “discussions will provide an opportunity to revisit positions already agreed at the G7 level… including the unjustifiable attacks carried out by Iran against Gulf countries… which we condemned in the strongest possible terms.”

Barrot added that ministers would also focus on securing global shipping routes.

A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

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“We will also have the opportunity to address maritime security and freedom of navigation… including an international mission… to ensure the smooth flow of maritime traffic in a strictly defensive posture, thereby helping to ease pressure on energy prices,” he said.

Kallas echoed that global framing. “All the countries in the world are one way or another affected by this war… it is in the interest of everybody that this war stops,” she said.

IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy speaks to the press during EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 19, 2024.  (Photo by Nicolas Landemard/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Her remarks also pointed to the interconnected nature of the crisis. “Russia is helping Iran with intelligence… and also supporting Iran now with drones,” she said, linking the Iran conflict to the war in Ukraine.

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That uncertainty is already affecting the structure of the summit, with officials dropping plans for a unified final communiqué to avoid exposing divisions, Reuters reported.

Analysts say those differences reflect deeper structural tensions in the alliance. “Europe has criticized Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy towards Iran while pursuing a failed diplomatic approach that has enabled the regime to expand its terrorist networks and edge closer to nuclear threshold status,” Barak Seener, senior research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.

“This reflects a lack of European capability to project power in the region, particularly in safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz.”

FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)

Seener added that years of reliance on Washington have left Europe increasingly exposed as the U.S. shifts its strategic priorities. “Years of underinvestment in defense and reliance on the United States have created a dependency that Washington increasingly views as a betrayal of the peace it has guaranteed Europe since the Second World War,” he said.

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“With the U.S. placing greater value on its relationship with Israel than NATO, the result may be further erosion of the alliance, reduced support for Ukraine and rising economic pressure on Europe.”

He warned that the immediate test will come at the G7 itself. “Divisions over how to respond to Iran and to any U.S. request for support are likely to expose a deeper transatlantic split,” Seener said.

“Operation Epic Fury has showcased President Trump’s ability to assemble a coalition of allies to eliminate a common threat — in this case the Iranian regime — and stabilize international trade,” Jacob Olidort, chief research officer and director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.

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A satellite view shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, on Oct. 2, 2024. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data via Getty Images)

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“The failure of Western Europe to participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz is particularly egregious because those countries depend on it more than we do,” he added.

“At the same time, the historic successes of Operation Epic Fury have awakened a new confidence in our Middle East partners to eradicate the threats from the Iranian regime and to work together to shape a more peaceful and prosperous region.”

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Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day

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Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day

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On today’s show:

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Top story: G7 Summit debrief with Méabh Mc Mahon and Maia de la Baume.

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Explainer by Jakub Janas: What’s the point of the G7 meeting?

Iran war update with Méabh Mc Mahon and Babak Kamiar.

Interview with Ghassan Salamé, Lebanese Culture Minister.

Interview with Valérie Hayer, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe, France).

When and where to watch Europe Today?

You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc Mahon and our EU editor Maria Tadeo live on TV and Euronews’ website and digital platforms every weekday.

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