The detained Russian-born Telegram CEO also holds citizenship in the UAE, France, and St. Kitts and Nevis
Abu Dhabi has asked the French government to grant Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov access to the UAE’s consular services following his arrest in Paris, according to a statement from the Middle Eastern state’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Durov was arrested in France last week as part of a broader investigation into the illegal use of his end-to-end encrypted social media app, authorities have said. The Russian entrepreneur holds citizenship in Russia, the UAE, France, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
“The UAE is closely monitoring the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by French authorities at Paris–Le Bourget Airport,” the UAE’s Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday. It added that it “has submitted a request to the Government of the French Republic to provide him with all necessary consular services…