Russian MP Urges Durov to Leave France
(MENAFN) Russian lawmaker Aleksey Zhuravlev has urged Pavel Durov, the creator of Telegram, to depart France without delay.
This suggestion follows Durov’s recent claims that the country’s external intelligence agency, the DGSE, tried to coerce him into suppressing right-leaning opinions on the messaging platform.
Zhuravlev, who serves as the deputy head of the State Duma Defense Committee, issued the warning during a conversation with a news agency on Saturday.
Earlier in May, Durov alleged that the DGSE had attempted to meddle in Romania’s electoral process by advocating for Telegram to impose restrictions — a directive he reportedly declined to follow.
In response, the French intelligence service dismissed the accusations. However, Durov reiterated his stance, accusing the French authorities of exploiting “terror” and “child porn” investigations to advance political interests.
“I would advise him to leave France at the first opportunity – the risk of ending up behind bars again is too high, especially if he continues to resist the demands of the French intelligence services,” Zhuravlev cautioned.
Durov, whose tech firm is headquartered in Dubai, had previously been detained in France in August 2024.
He faced allegations of being complicit in criminal acts carried out by Telegram users, including those related to extremism and child exploitation.
Although he was released on bail amounting to EURO5 million (around USD5.46 million), he remains under tight monitoring.
While he was granted permission to travel to the UAE in March, his application to visit the United States was recently declined.
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