UAE closely following case of Telegram founder amid arrest in France

The United Arab Emirates says it is keeping a close watch on developments around the arrest of its citizen Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, in Paris.

Durov was detained on Saturday after arriving at Paris–Le Bourget Airport on his private jet from Azerbaijan. 

Durov, who has been living in Dubai since 2017, received UAE citizenship in February 2021.

“The UAE has submitted a request to the Government of the French Republic to provide him with all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner,” read a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Monday night.

In its statement, MoFA stressed that “prioritising the welfare of UAE citizens, safeguarding their interests, and providing them with all aspects of support is a key priority for the UAE”.

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an investigation into allegedly failing to moderate criminal activity on the platform.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was no political motive in the arrest, 

In a subsequent statement, Paris prosecutors have said the arrest follows a probe that was launched by the country’s cybercrime unit on July 8.

Durov could be held in custody until Wednesday, the prosecutors added.

READ MORE: Telegram says its founder Pavel Durov has nothing to hide