Barran Press
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Monday, August 26, that it is closely monitoring the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app Telegram, who was detained in France.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that it is "closely following the case of Emirati citizen Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram application, who was arrested by French authorities at Paris-Le Bourget Airport."
The ministry added that the UAE has "submitted a request to the French government to provide all consular services to him urgently."
The UAE Foreign Ministry did not disclose the reasons for Durov's detention in Paris, stating that "the care of citizens, the preservation of their interests, the monitoring of their affairs, and the provision of all forms of care to them are a top priority for the UAE."
Durov, a Russian entrepreneur who also holds Emirati and French citizenship, was detained on Saturday evening.
On Sunday evening, French authorities extended the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, a day after his arrest at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. The arrest was made based on a warrant issued by French investigators for various alleged violations related to the encrypted messaging app.
The 39-year-old Russian-French billionaire was arrested at Le Bourget Airport between 5:30 and 6:00 PM on Saturday (17:30-18:00 GMT) along with his bodyguard and assistant, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Another source close to the case stated that Durov was arriving from Baku, Azerbaijan, and was scheduled to spend at least the evening in Paris, where he was to have dinner.
A source close to the investigation confirmed that the Parisian investigating judge in charge of the case, which involves suspected offenses committed within the framework of an organized gang, extended his detention on Sunday evening. He can remain under police custody for a maximum of 96 hours.