On August 25, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by French police after landing at Le Bourget Airport in northern Paris. Pavel Durov may face multiple charges including fraud, money laundering, and terrorism. According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, Durov, who has dual French and Russian citizenship, may face up to 20 years in prison.
For more information about Pavel Durov’s past experiences, please refer to: "A brief biography of the Durov brothers, founders of Telegram, the "rebellious" road of a genius boy"
Affected by this news, Ton fell by more than 10% in 24 hours. BlockBeats has summarized the latest developments and views of all parties as follows and will continue to follow up:
Former US official: Durov once had a good relationship with the French president, and the charges for his arrest were fabricated political events
On August 25, according to the Russian Satellite News Agency, Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst, said: "Telegram is one of the few channels that actually allows information critical of Western policies to continue to spread. I think this is indeed the root of the problem."
The analyst called the charges against Durov a "fabricated political case," suggesting they were designed to intimidate the tech entrepreneur. "There was a time when he was considered friendly with [French President Emmanuel] Macron," Johnson added. "But that's clearly over, because this arrest would not have happened without Macron's knowledge and approval."
Telegram founder could face up to 20 years in prison
On August 25, the Russian satellite news agency reported that Durov, who holds dual French and Russian citizenship, could face up to 20 years in prison. He was arrested for lack of content moderation on Telegram and his failure to cooperate with French law enforcement. The charges stem from a search warrant issued by the General Directorate of the French National Judicial Police.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov is scheduled to appear before a judge on Saturday evening local time, facing multiple charges including terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering and child abuse.
TON TVL fell by more than 60% in a single day and is currently around US$310 million
On August 25, according to DefiLlama data, TON TVL fell sharply and is currently US$310 million, down more than 60% from its historical high of US$777 million, and a single-day drop of 60.62%.
Russian State Duma Deputy Chairman Davankov calls on the Russian Foreign Ministry to find a way to rescue Pavel Durov
On August 25, according to CCTV News, Russian State Duma Deputy Chairman Davankov called on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to try to rescue Pavel Durov in the early morning of the 25th. He said that he had sent a corresponding request to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Russian Embassy in France has taken necessary measures to understand the relevant situation of Pavel Durov.
Pavel Durov was born in 1984. The media said he holds multiple nationalities including Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates. It is reported that since Pavel Durov is a French citizen, he will not be exchanged or extradited to other countries.
Elon Musk comments on Durov's arrest: This is an advertisement for "protecting freedom of speech"
On August 25, Elon Musk commented on social media about the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov by French police and said, "This is propaganda for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." He also sarcastically said, "It's Europe in 2030, and you were executed for liking a meme."
Note: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, which guarantees citizens the freedom to express their opinions in public and political affairs. Its main contents include: freedom of speech, freedom of the press and other rights.
Dogs: We support Pavel Durov, privacy and truth are especially important
On August 25, Dogs posted a message on the official Telegram channel in support of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, "We support Pavel Durov, privacy and truth are particularly important."
TON issued a statement on the arrest of Telegram CEO: TON will continue to operate in full
On August 25, TON issued a statement on the arrest of Telegram CEO, "asking everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational."
“As a community committed to free speech and decentralization, we stand firmly with Pavel during this challenging time. Pavel has been a loyal advocate for these values, and we believe his efforts to promote an open and decentralized internet will continue to inspire millions of people. The TON community remains focused on our mission, and we will continue to work to uphold these principles around the world. We encourage everyone to remain calm, united, and continue to build as we navigate this situation together. Thank you for your continued support.”
Telegram CEO may face multiple charges including fraud, money laundering, terrorism, etc.
On August 25, TheBlock reported that Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France and detained by agents from the French National Anti-Fraud Office. Durov was arrested after traveling from Azerbaijan with a woman and his bodyguard to Paris Le Bourget Airport, which specializes in serving private jets. According to reports, based on preliminary investigations, OFMIN, France's investigative agency against child sexual exploitation, issued a search warrant for him. It is reported that Durov rarely travels in Europe, perhaps to avoid being detained in this way, and his arrest warrant is only valid on French territory.
Durov is likely to meet with an investigating judge on Saturday evening and could be indicted on Sunday for a number of crimes, including: terrorism, drugs, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods, child abuse content, etc. An investigator from France's National Anti-Fraud Office said: "Pavel Durov will end up in pretrial detention, that's for sure. On Telegram, he allowed countless crimes and crimes to be committed, and he did nothing to mitigate or cooperate."
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