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French Judge Extends Telegram CEO's Detention Amid Controversy. A French investigative judge has extended the police custody of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was detained at Le Bourget airport in connection with a judicial inquiry involving 12 alleged criminal violations, ABC News reports. Durov’s alleged offenses include complicity in selling child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud, and abetting organized crime transactions. His custody was extended for up to 48 hours on Monday evening, after which authorities must either release or charge him, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. Durov, who holds multiple citizenships, including Russian and French, has sparked outrage among Russian officials, who view his detention as politically motivated. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Durov's arrest is part of an independent investigation and is not politically motivated, reaffirming France’s commitment to freedom of expression within a legal framework. The UAE Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and has requested that France provide Durov with necessary consular services. The Russian Embassy in Paris stated that their consular officials were denied access to Durov due to his French citizenship being considered his primary one by French authorities. Telegram, founded by Durov after he faced pressure from Russian authorities, remains a widely used platform globally, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. Western governments have criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation, which they argue enables illegal activities like money laundering and the sharing of child exploitation material. Telegram defended itself in a statement, arguing that it abides by EU laws and that it's unreasonable to hold the platform or its owner responsible for the abuse of the platform by users.
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