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Kremlin unaware of specific charges against Pavel Durov — spokesman

Dmitry Peskov said not to rush to conclusions before charges are brought against Durov

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is unaware of specific charges against the co-founder of the Telegram instant messaging service, Pavel Durov, who was detained in France.

"We don't know yet what exactly Durov is accused of. We have not heard any official statements to that effect yet," he told reporters.

Peskov said not to rush to conclusions before charges are brought against Durov. "Before saying anything, we should wait for the situation to become clearer, see what exactly they are trying to accuse Durov of. Without that, it would probably be wrong to make any statements," Peskov said.

"Let's wait until the charges are announced - if they are announced, if it comes to that. Afterward, it will be possible to make some preliminary conclusions," the spokesman said.

Durov was detained at the Le Bourget airport in Paris on August 24. Law enforcement authorities believe he is complicit in drug trafficking, crimes against children and fraud because of a lack of moderation efforts in Telegram, his refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, and the option of sending cryptocurrency through the messaging app, TF1 television reported. The Russian Embassy in France told TASS that it plans to protect Durov's rights and seek consular access to him, but "the French side has so far avoided engagement on this issue." Durov also has a French passport.