UAE 'closely following' arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France

Businessman holds dual UAE-French citizenship

Pavel Durov, who holds UAE-France joint citizenship, was arrested near Paris on August 24. Getty Images

The UAE said it was closely following the case of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested in France at the weekend.

The billionaire Russian-French founder of the Telegram messaging app was arrested on his private jet at an airport on the outskirts of Paris on Saturday.

Mr Durov was the subject of a warrant for his arrest in France as part of a preliminary police investigation.

The detention of the entrepreneur, who holds dual UAE-French citizenship and is based in Dubai, is said to be linked to an alleged lack of moderators on Telegram, which French law officials reportedly claimed could enable undeterred criminal activity.

The UAE has submitted a request to the government of the French Republic to provide Mr Durov with all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner, state news agency Wam reported.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that prioritising the welfare of UAE citizens, safeguarding their interests, and providing them with all aspects of support is a key priority for the UAE," Wam stated.

Following his arrest, Telegram released a statement saying Mr Durov had “nothing to hide and frequently travels in Europe”, and that Telegram “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act”.

The app said its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” said the Dubai-based tech company.

A magistrate must decide by Wednesday evening whether to press charges, release Mr Durov without charge or name him as a witness in the investigation.