French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening. The arrest was carried out on a warrant related to criminal activities allegedly facilitated through his platform.

Durov, 39, was detained around 8 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) upon arrival from Azerbaijan aboard his private jet. According to French broadcaster TF1, he is expected to appear in court on Sunday.

The arrest stems from a preliminary investigation by France's OFMIN, an agency responsible for preventing violence against minors. Durov is suspected of failing to implement measures to prevent the use of Telegram for criminal purposes, including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.

"Enough of Telegram's impunity," said one of the investigators involved in the case, expressing surprise that Durov had traveled to Paris despite being a wanted man.

Telegram, founded in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, has grown into one of the world's leading social media platforms, rivaling giants like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The app is particularly known for its emphasis on privacy and encryption, which has drawn both praise and criticism.

Durov, who reportedly holds French citizenship, fled Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his previous social media platform, VK. Telegram became a vital communication tool in Russia following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, serving as a platform for unfiltered content from both sides of the conflict.

The Russian Embassy in Paris has condemned the arrest, accusing French authorities of refusing to cooperate. "We immediately asked French authorities to explain the reasons for this detention and demanded that his rights be protected and that consular access be granted. Up to now, the French side is refusing to cooperate on this question," the embassy stated, according to Russia's Ria Novosti news agency.

The situation remains tense, with Durov's court appearance anticipated to clarify the charges and the legal trajectory of this high-profile case.