Telegram manager to remain in French safekeeping as Russia declares United States meddling

By Tassilo Hummel

PARIS (Reuters) – Telegram manager Pavel Durov might be kept in authorities safekeeping till Wednesday after French district attorneys claimed they had actually approved added time for examining, while an elderly ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Washington lagged his apprehension.

Durov, a Russian- birthed billionaire, was jailed in France over the weekend break as component of an examination right into criminal activities associated with pictures of youngster sex misuse, medication trafficking and deceptive purchases on the system, French district attorneys claimed on Monday.

On Tuesday, a speaker for the general public district attorney claimed Durov’s apprehension had actually been expanded by approximately 2 days late on Monday.

The messaging system, which experts have actually referred to as an online field of battle, has actually been greatly made use of by both sides of the battle in Ukraine and war-related information and publicity networks around the world.

Without giving proof, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma, the reduced residence of parliament, claimed the United States, via France, was trying to put in control over Telegram.

“Telegram is one of the few and at the same time the largest Internet platform over which the United States has no influence,” Volodin claimed in a blog post.

“On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, it is important for (President Joe) Biden to take Telegram under control.”

The White House did not instantly talk about Durov’s apprehension.

With virtually 1 billion customers, Telegram, which occurs as a sanctuary completely free speech and political objectors, is specifically famous in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the previous Soviet Union.

While numerous average customers like the application for its simple usage and variety of features, it is likewise extensively made use of by reactionary, anti-vax and conspiracist activities.

French President Emmanuel Macron, that is recognized to be an enthusiastic customer of the application, has actually claimed that the apprehension was “in no way a political decision”.

After Russia introduced its intrusion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has actually ended up being the primary resource of unfiltered – and often visuals and deceptive – web content from both sides regarding the battle and the national politics bordering the dispute.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Tassilo Hummel in Paris; Editing by Barbara Lewis)