The United Arab Emirates has said it is following closely the case of Telegram messaging app founder and CEO Pavel Durov – who is an Emirati citizen – following his arrest and the extension of his initial detention by authorities in France.
The Russian-born Durov, 39, was detained on Saturday at Paris-Le Bourget Airport in France based on a judicial inquiry opened last month involving 12 alleged criminal violations involving his popular Telegram app, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement early on Tuesday that it was “closely following” Durov’s case and that it had “submitted a request to the French government to provide him with all consular services urgently”.
“Caring for citizens, preserving their interests, following up on their affairs, and providing them with all aspects of care are a top priority for the UAE,” the ministry said in the statement.
Though born in Russia, Durov spent much of his childhood in Italy and is a citizen of the UAE, France, Russia, and the Caribbean island nation of St Kitts and Nevis.
In his first public comment on the arrest, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that it was not a political move but part of an independent investigation.
Posting on social media, Macron said that France “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.
