UAE Seeks Consular Access for Arrested Telegram Chief

UAE Seeks Consular Access for Telegram Founder Pavel Durov After Arrest in France

The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it had requested consular services for Telegram founder Pavel Durov after the Dubai-based tech tycoon was arrested in France on charges of failing to prevent criminal activity on the app.

“The UAE is closely monitoring the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by French authorities at Paris-Le Bourget airport,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The United Arab Emirates has submitted a request to the government of the French Republic to urgently provide him with all the consular services he needs,” it added.

French authorities arrested the 39-year-old billionaire founder of the Telegram messaging site late Saturday. He was accused of failing to prevent the spread of illegal content on Telegram, which has more than 900 million users. The company has denied the allegations.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday denied any political motives for the arrest as the tech entrepreneur remained in custody for a second day.

Later on Monday, French authorities again extended Dureau’s initial detention until Wednesday, according to a source close to the investigation.

“Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” Dubai-headquartered Telegram said on Sunday.

“Telegram adheres to EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards,” the company said. “To claim that a site or its owner is responsible for misuse of that site is absurd.”