French authorities will issue an official statement today on the detention of Telegram founder

BlockBeats news, on August 26, according to The Washington Post, French authorities have confirmed that Pavel Durov was detained in France, and the Paris authorities said they would issue an official statement on Durov's detention on Monday. The Russian Embassy in Paris said, "It has requested a consular visit to Durov and asked the French authorities to ensure the protection of his rights. The French side has been avoiding cooperation on this issue." Russian officials are in contact with Durov's lawyers. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the French government may regard Durov's French citizenship as his primary nationality. According to Forbes estimates, Durov, 39, currently has a wealth of approximately $15.5 billion.

According to previous interviews with The Washington Post, Western officials have said that Telegram is a tool of Russian military intelligence agencies that can recruit people in Europe to carry out sabotage activities, including attempts to disrupt and monitor NATO's transportation lines used to supply Ukraine. In addition, senior European security officials said Telegram has become Russia's main platform for spreading disinformation in Europe and Ukraine.

Russian officials and state media experts also slammed the West's "double standards" on free speech over Durov's detention. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, said Durov's detention was an example of "very alarming totalitarian trends in a country that used to call itself a democracy." Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Durov's detention should serve as a wake-up call for all Russian entrepreneurs leaving the country.