The Media Line: UAE Requests Consular Access for Telegram CEO Arrested in Paris

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UAE Requests Consular Access for Telegram CEO Arrested in Paris

By The Media Line Staff

The United Arab Emirates announced on Monday that it had formally requested consular access for Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, following his arrest in Paris on Saturday.

Durov, a Russian-born citizen of both France and the UAE, was detained by French authorities on allegations that Telegram, the encrypted messaging platform he founded, has failed to address issues related to fraud, drug trafficking, and organized crime.

In response to the arrest, Telegram issued a statement calling it “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”

The French National Police’s bureau for preventing crimes against minors issued the warrant for Durov’s arrest, and the prosecutor’s office confirmed that he will remain in custody during the investigation.

“The UAE is closely following the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by the French authorities at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. We have submitted a request to the government of the French Republic to urgently provide him with all the necessary consular services,” the Emirati Foreign Ministry said.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Durov’s arrest was “in no way a political decision,” addressing concerns raised by free speech advocates who fear this could signal broader government overreach.

Based in Dubai, Telegram has nearly a billion users and serves as a crucial communication tool in many countries, including those under authoritarian rule. However, it has also been used by criminal organizations to evade law enforcement. Telegram is widely used in conflict zones across the Middle East, Ukraine, and Russia.