NSA whistleblower calls France’s arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov an ‘attack’ on basic human rights
The detention of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov jeopardizes basic human rights of expression and association, former CIA and National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden said. The whistleblower also said he is “deeply saddened” in the action of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Russian tech entrepreneur, who also holds citizenship of France, the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, was detained shortly after landing at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday and is due to appear before a judge on Sunday evening, according to media reports. French authorities have reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Durov over insufficient moderation of his online platform, which allegedly allowed it to be widely used by criminals.
NSA whistleblower Snowden also took to social media to respond, stating that “Durov’s arrest is an attack on basic human rights of expression and association.”
“I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has stooped to the level of taking hostages as a way to gain access to private communications,” he said, emphasizing that the change “it demeans not only France, but the world.”
The arrest of @Durov This is an attack on basic human rights of expression and association. I am shocked and deeply saddened that Macron would stoop to the level of taking hostages as a means of gaining access to private communications. This demeans not only France, but the world.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) August 25, 2024
Edward Snowden fled the US in 2013 after leaking a cache of files revealing the NSA’s systematic illegal mass spying on American citizens. He was arrested while in transit in Moscow after Washington revoked his passport. Russia eventually granted him asylum and, reportedly, eventually citizenship.
In July, Pavel Durov announced that the number of monthly active users of Telegram had reached 950 million.