Telegram CEO’s brother also in French authorities’ sights

The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, a Russian, may not be the only incident related to the messenger. The company’s brother and co-founder, Nikolay DurovAnother person wanted by authorities in France.

Confidential documents obtained through the website Political confirm this Nikolai also has an arrest warrant issued since March this year in the country – there is also Pavel, who was detained at an airport near Paris last Saturday (26).

The arrest warrants were issued in March of this year, meaning the investigation has been ongoing for several months. The document even mentions Telegram’s vice president, Ilya Perekopsky, but there are no formal charges or subpoenas.

The Durov brothers launched Messenger in Russia in 2013. While Pavel focused more on the administrative side and represented the app publicly, programmer and mathematician Nikolai was responsible for the technical part. It was he who created him MTProtothe communication protocol of the application.

Arrest of Pavel Durov

The report also details a case involving the reporter that led to the arrest of manager Pavel Durov for his lack of cooperation.

Telegram reportedly refused to cooperate with local police in an investigation into child exploitation after authorities requested the identity of a suspected user. More specifically, the app did not even respond to authorities’ contact information.

The French government, which has been criticised, has denied any involvement in the arrest, but the country has become a target for cybercriminals who have come to Durov’s defence. Even billionaire Elon Musk has complained about the arrest, saying the world is living in “dangerous times” due to cases of censorship.

In a note published during the detention period, Telegram reported that Pavel “He has nothing to hide.” and he says it’s ridiculous holding the platform owner responsible for the content transmitted The company, however, did not comment on specific allegations in the case.