The Kremlin said Tuesday that France had leveled "very serious" charges against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov and warned Paris against trying to intimidate the tech entrepreneur after he was arrested in Paris over the weekend.
French prosecutors accuse the 39-year-old billionaire of failing to curb the spread of illegal content on Telegram — charges his company denies. French President Emmanuel Macron has denied the arrest is politically motivated.
"The charges are indeed very serious, they require no less serious evidence," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Otherwise, this would be a direct attempt to restrict freedom of communication, and, I might even say, directly intimidate the head of a large company."
Numerous questions have arisen about the timing and circumstances of Durov's detention, which an anonymous source close to the case said was extended until Wednesday.
Durov, who is originally from Russia, holds citizenship in several countries, including France and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE said Tuesday it had requested consular services for the billionaire and was closely following his case.
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