On Thursday, the Kremlin cautioned France against turning the criminal case against Telegram founder Pavel Durov into a form of “political persecution.”
Russia, which has been engaged in an extensive crackdown on political dissent amid its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, has characterized Durov’s unexpected arrest in Paris earlier this week as politically motivated.
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Durov, who holds both Russian and French citizenship, faces charges in France for allegedly failing to address extremist and illegal content on the widely used social media platform.
“The main thing is for what is happening in France not to run into political persecution,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Of course, we consider him a Russian citizen and as much as possible we will be ready to provide assistance,” he added.
“We will be watching what happens next.”
Durov was granted conditional release on a €5 million bail and must report to a police station twice a week while staying in France, according to French prosecutors.
Telegram, one of Russia’s most popular messaging apps, has seen swift defense from Russian officials following Durov’s arrest at a Paris airport last weekend.
