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Pavel Durov's detention

German lawmaker lambasts Durov’s detention as attack on freedom of speech

Law enforcement agencies suspect the Telegram messenger founder of being complicit in drug trafficking, crimes against minors and fraud amid the messenger’s lack of moderation, its refusal to cooperate with law enforcement

BERLIN, August 26. /TASS/. A German lawmaker has slammed Telegram messenger founder Pavel Durov’s detention in France as an attack on freedom of speech.

"Pavel Durov’s detention in France, which apparently stems from his refusal to grant Western intelligence services access to user data, is a blatant attack on freedom of expression and speech," Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance - Reason and Justice" (BSW), wrote on her X page, posting a #FreePavelDurov hashtag.

Durov was detained at Paris’ Le Bourget Airport late on August 24. Law enforcement agencies suspect him of being complicit in drug trafficking, crimes against minors and fraud amid the messenger’s lack of moderation, its refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, and the tools provided by the application to sell cryptocurrency, the TF1 television channel reported.

Meanwhile, Russia’s embassy in France told TASS that it would take efforts to ensure that Durov’s rights are duly observed and would demand consular access for the billionaire. The French side, according to the embassy, "is evading cooperation on this matter." Durov also holds a French passport.

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