Telegram founder Pavel Durov has declared that French media outlets have resorted to the issue of "xenophobia" to smear his reputation.
Durov wrote in a post on the X social media platform: "The (free) French press resorted to xenophobia to smear me, and this backfired disastrously."
In the post, Durov noted that French citizens are able to critically evaluate media articles and issues, free from government propaganda, and said: "The French people are aware of the falsity of government classifications and propaganda. I love them!"
Droff had previously directed several criticisms at France and its authorities regarding the issue of media freedom and censorship of social media, and wrote in a post on the X platform about the subject: “About a year ago, while I was stuck in Paris, the French intelligence services contacted me through an intermediary and asked me to help the Moldovan government impose censorship on certain channels on Telegram before the presidential elections in Moldova.”
Durov also criticized the European Commission on the issue of freedoms and internet censorship, noting that the US Congress had exposed the Commission's practices of censoring political opponents for more than a decade.
It is worth noting that French police arrested Russian businessman Pavel Durov, a resident of the UAE, at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on August 24, 2024. French authorities charged him with operating a platform used for illegal transactions. After several days in detention, he was released on bail, and the investigation is ongoing.
Durov had previously criticized the French investigation targeting him, saying it was "finding it difficult to prove any wrongdoing" after his arrest.
