By SRH, Amendment I: Congress cannot establish religion, restrict its free exercise, limit speech, press, or the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. The public will not benefit from laws enacted by men of their own choice if they are too long to read or nonsensical to understand. James Madison. Liberty exists when governments fear the people. Tyranny exists when people fear the government. The strongest justification to maintain and bear guns is as a last resort to protect against government tyranny.
Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Pavel Durov, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, was detained at Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening, as reported by TF1 TV, citing an anonymous source.
The report states that Durov, 39, was on his private jet after arriving from Azerbaijan, which led to a French search warrant issued by the OFMIN of the French judicial police due to his name being on a wanted persons list (FPR).
Telegram is known for its end-to-end encrypted messaging and allows users to create “channels” for rapid information sharing with followers.
“He made a mistake this evening. We don’t know the reason… Was this flight merely a stop? Regardless, he’s now in custody!” a source close to the investigation informed the news outlet (translated by Google).
Durov was apprehended by the National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF) for allegedly facilitating various crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and fraud.
“On his platform, he permitted countless offenses and crimes to occur, for which he took no action to moderate or assist,” a source told TF1 TV.
Kim Dotcom, founder of Megaupload, described the arrest as part of a “crackdown against free speech.”
Dotcom advises individuals to “Backup and clean your Telegram account while you still can.”
Durov, originally from Russia, left the country in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he has since sold. He currently resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, and holds dual citizenship in France and the UAE.
