The UAE announced that it is closely following the case of Emirati citizen Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram app, who was arrested by French authorities at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday.
The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it has submitted a request to the French government to provide all consular services to Durov “urgently.”
The Ministry pointed out that caring for citizens, safeguarding their interests, following up on their affairs and providing all aspects of care for them is a top priority for the UAE, reports Emirates News Agency (WAM).
French authorities on Monday extended the detention of Durov after his arrest over alleged offence related to the controversial messaging app, a source close to the case told AFP.
The 39-year-old billionaire is being questioned on alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism, and failing to take action to curb the criminal use of the platform.
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday denied any political link to the arrest of Telegram founder as the tech tycoon spent a second day in French custody.
In recent years, Telegram became the main source of uncensored and content on various subjects due to its original interface and particular approach to user guidelines.
Telegram, which allows users to evade government scrutiny, has also become one of the few outlets through which “ground coverage” is broadcast.
The app’s growing popularity has prompted several countries in Europe, including France, to scrutinize it due to security concerns and concerns about data breaches.
