Zakharova made a statement to the Rossiya-24 TV channel regarding Durov’s detention at the airport in France yesterday.
FRENCH CITIZEN DETAIL…
Stating that the Russian Embassy in Paris contacted the French side on this issue, Zakharova said, “A note was given to France requesting access to Durov.”
Pointing out that Durov is also a French citizen, spokeswoman Zakharova said, “The problem is that France accepts Durov, first and foremost, as a citizen of its own country.”
HE WAS DETAINED YESTERDAY
Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, was detained yesterday at the airport in France, where he arrived by private jet from Azerbaijan.
According to reports in the Russian and French press, Durov was detained for providing access to illegal content on Telegram.
WHO IS PAVEL DUROV?
Durov, who is also the founder of Russia’s popular social media site VK, left Russia in 2014.
Durov, who holds citizenship of France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, is estimated to have a fortune of around $15 billion.
The number of monthly active users of Telegram, one of the world’s popular instant messaging and social media applications, has reached 900 million people.