PARIS, Aug 28, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Pavel Durov, the founder and chief of
Telegram, is set to learn Wednesday whether he will face charges and even be
remanded in custody after his weekend arrest by French authorities over
alleged violations at the messaging app.

Russian-born Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late
Saturday, and while the judicial authorities have repeatedly extended his
initial period of detention, it can last a maximum of 96 hours.

This means that by Wednesday evening he should either be released or appear
before a judge who will decide further measures against him.

As part of a probe that was confidentially opened on July 8, Durov is being
investigated on suspicion of 12 offences related to failing to curb extremist
and criminal content on Telegram, sources close to the investigation have
said.

The tech mogul founded Telegram as he was in the process of quitting his
native Russia a decade ago. Its growth has been exponential, with the app now
boasting over 900 million users.

An enigmatic figure who rarely speaks in public, Durov is a citizen of
Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based.

Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion, though he
proudly promotes the virtues of an ascetic life that includes ice baths and
not drinking alcohol or coffee.

Numerous questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of
Durov's detention, in particular why he flew into Paris apparently knowing a
warrant had been issued against him.

Le Monde newspaper reported Wednesday that Durov had met French President
Emmanuel Macron on several occasions prior to receiving French nationality in
2021 via a special procedure reserved for those deemed to have made a special
contribution to France.

The Wall Street Journal added that at one lunch in 2018, Macron -- who along
with his team were in the past avid users of Telegram -- had suggested it
should be headquartered in Paris. But Durov had refused.

- 'In no way political' -

In a post on X to address what he called "false information" concerning the
case, Macron insisted Durov's arrest was "in no way a political decision" and
it was "up to the judges to rule".

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the charges were very serious
and thus needed "no less serious evidence".

"Otherwise this would be a direct attempt to restrict freedom of
communication, and, I might even say, directly intimidate the head of a large
company," he said.

The UAE meanwhile said it was "closely following the case" and had requested
consular access for its citizen.

Among those voicing support for Durov is fellow tech tycoon and chief
executive of X, Elon Musk, who has posted comments under the hashtag
#FreePavel.

Durov left Russia a decade ago as he was setting up Telegram amid an
ownership squabble concerning his first project, the Russian social network
VKontakte.

But his departure from Russia was reportedly not an abrupt exile: according
to the Vazhnye Istorii news site, citing leaked border data, he visited the
country more than 50 times between 2015 and 2021.

- 'Nothing to hide' -

When the initial 96-hour questioning period ends, the investigating
magistrate can either free Durov or press charges and remand him in custody.

He could also be freed under judicial control that could include restrictions
on his movements.

Durov, who has been based in Dubai in recent years, arrived in Paris from the
Azerbaijani capital Baku and was planning to have dinner in the French
capital, a source close to the case said.

He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a personal assistant who always travel
with him, added the source, asking not to be named.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Baku on a state visit to Azerbaijan
on August 18 and 19, though Peskov has denied that the two met.

France's OFMIN, an office tasked with preventing violence against minors,
issued an arrest warrant for Durov in a preliminary investigation into
alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised
crime and promotion of terrorism.

Telegram said in response that "Durov has nothing to hide and travels
frequently in Europe".

It added: "It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible
for abuse of that platform."

Telegram has positioned itself as a "neutral" alternative to US-owned
platforms, which have been criticised for their commercial exploitation of
users' personal data.

It has also played a key role since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, used
actively by politicians and commentators on both sides of the war.

But critics accuse it of hosting often illegal content ranging from extreme
sexual imagery to disinformation and narcotics services.