Pavel Durov’s French Naturalization Process
Before becoming a French citizen, Pavel Durov, the creator and CEO of the Telegram app, met with the French president on multiple occasions. These meetings were even noted in Durov’s naturalization application file, leading to him obtaining a French passport in 2021 through the “distinguished foreigner” procedure.
Arrest and Allegations Against Pavel Durov
Durov was detained at Paris-Le Bourget airport on suspicion of allowing pedopornographic content and organized crime operations on Telegram, a platform known for minimal content moderation. Additionally, he is accused of failing to cooperate with French judicial requests. His custody period is set to end on August 28, causing a stir not only in Russia, where Telegram is popular, but also in the U.S. with figures like Elon Musk criticizing it as an attack on freedom of expression.
Durov’s Surprising Citizenship and Past Interactions with French Authorities
Pavel Durov, a Russian citizen who left his homeland in 2014 due to conflicts with the Kremlin, is a French national by law. Despite residing mainly in Dubai, he has visited Russia frequently and owns Russian, Emirati, and French passports. The “distinguished foreigner” naturalization process that facilitated his French citizenship is deemed a political move, often involving high-ranking officials in its application process. Durov himself raised the naturalization topic during a 2018 lunch with the French president, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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