Kremlin says France’s accusations against Telegram’s Durov require serious evidence

MOSCOW (Reuters): The Kremlin said on Tuesday that serious accusations France has levelled against Telegram boss Pavel Durov would be viewed as an attempt to restrict freedom of communication unless they were backed up with serious evidence.

Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, was arrested in France over the weekend as part of an investigation into crimes related to images of child sex abuse, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.

Reuters has not been able to reach a lawyer for Durov.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but he said Durov’s French citizenship complicated the situation.

Durov also holds a UAE passport.

“The charges are very serious indeed,” said Peskov.

“They require a no less serious basis of evidence. Otherwise they will be a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”

Russia has previously tried, and failed, to block Telegram and fined the company several times for failing to delete what it deemed illegal content.

Peskov said Durov’s case could be seen as intimidation of the head of a large company and cast doubt on an assertion by French President Emmanuel Macron that there was no political motive in Durov’s detention.