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Pavel Durov And The Abuse Of Law

The detention of Pavel Durov is being portrayed as a result of the EU Digital Services Act. But having spent my day reading the EU Services Act (a task I would not wish upon my worst enemy), it does not appear to me to say what it is being portrayed as saying. EU Acts are horribly dense and complex, and are published as “Regulations” and “Articles.” Both cover precisely the same ground, but for purposes of enforcement the more detailed “Regulations” are the more important, and those are referred to below. The “Articles” are entirely consistent with this. Durov was formally charged on Wednesday and prevented from leaving France.

France Slaps Telegram CEO With 12 Criminal Charges

Telegram founder Pavel Durov is being held in custody by French authorities as part of a cyber-criminality investigation, the Paris prosecutor said in a statement on 26 August. The Russian-born billionaire and founder of the popular messaging app was arrested upon landing in the French capital on Saturday evening. The prosecutor’s statement mentioned 12 different offenses under investigation for “complicity” in organized crime, including illicit transactions, child pornography, fraud, and the refusal to disclose information to authorities. The statement added that Durov’s time in custody had been extended and could now last until Wednesday.

France Arrests Telegram Founder Pavel Durov, Denies Russian Consular Access

The Russian founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has been arrested in France just after he arrived in Paris on a private jet on Saturday. Durov, who obtained French citizenship in 2021, was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget Airport at around 8pm local time on Saturday, August 24. He is also a citizen of the UAE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and his native Russia. His jet had arrived in the French capital from Azerbaijan. The 39-year-old tech entrepreneur was accompanied by a woman and his bodyguard, according to a report by the French news outlet LCI. According to the report, the French authorities issued an arrest warrant for the tech entrepreneur as part of a preliminary investigation.

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