French authorities have now shared the why behind the August 24 arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov. His arrest got here in response to a collection of fees, together with complicity in “distributing, providing or making out there pornographic photos of minors, in an organized group.” The fees stem from a judicial investigation opened on July 8 in opposition to an unnamed particular person.
The discharge, penned by Prosecutor of the Republic Laure Beccuau, particulars 12 fees in whole, together with cash laundering, drug trafficking, fraud, working a web based platform that permits unlawful transactions and possessing little one pornography. Durov might be held in custody till Wednesday, August 28.
The arrest has raised questions on how a lot leaders are answerable for what occurs on their platforms. Telegram shared a post stating the corporate “abides by EU legal guidelines” and “It’s absurd to say {that a} platform or its proprietor are answerable for abuse of that platform.” There have additionally been outcries from people like Elon Musk, the proprietor of X (previously Twitter), who posted “#FreePavel” on X, and NSA whistleblower and now Russian citizen Edward Snowden, who known as it politically motivated. Telegram is very common in Russia and Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron responded on X (previously Twitter) to “false data” that the arrest was politically motivated. “France is deeply dedicated to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It’ll stay so,” Macron shared on August 26. “In a state ruled by the rule of legislation, freedoms are upheld inside a authorized framework, each on social media and in actual life, to guard residents and respect their elementary rights. It’s as much as the judiciary, in full independence, to implement the legislation.”