MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The United States is behind the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, as it wants to monopolize global information flows and force the messenger to block information about Ukraine's and NATO's war crimes, Iranian political scientist and international security specialist Professor Ruhollah Modabber has told TASS.
"Durov was detained on instructions from the US, which wants to control all information flows of the world and monopolize the global social environment and to spread only its own view of what is happening. Unlike Facebook and Instagram (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia - TASS), which censor publications representing the Russian point of view, in Telegram one is free to expose crimes being committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis and NATO military against Russian civilians," Modabber said.
He pointed out that the messenger also "did not censor news about Israel's crimes against the defenseless people of the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli leadership was extremely dissatisfied with Telegram's policy and may have decided to put pressure on its founder."
Modabber believes that "the French citizenship that Durov has obtained did not help him [to protect himself from persecution], which once again shows that the West's approach to the issue of human rights has always been one-sided and hypocritical."
The expert believes that pressure on France in support of Durov’s release will be mounting.
"Independent countries in the new world order should move towards creating media free from US control. Such media will eventually destroy the West's monopoly in this sphere," Modabber added.
Durov was detained at Paris' Le Bourget airport on August 24. The authorities suspect his complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children and fraud because of insufficient moderation in Telegram, refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, as well as the opportunity to send cryptocurrency via the messenger, the TF1 TV channel reports. The Russian embassy in France has told TASS that it intends to press for respect for Durov's rights and obtain consular access to him, but "the French side has so far avoided interaction on this issue."