Why is Russia so hysterical about Durov’s arrest?

Perhaps that’s not the most important thing. Mr. Durov, a 39-year-old businessman from Russia who mysteriously obtained French citizenship in 2021, is currently on France’s wanted list. His arrest warrant was issued by a domestic court due to an “ongoing preliminary investigation,” the details of which have not yet been made public.

But the French media is already buzzing – P. Durov could not have been unaware of the threats and charges of arrest – and it is alleged that the founder of Telegram and the managers of the application have repeatedly refused to cooperate with the French authorities in their investigations, and he may now face charges related to terrorism, drugs, fraud, money laundering, sale of stolen goods and sexual abuse of minors.

The reaction of Russian government officials, propagandists, local and Kremlin intermediaries abroad was not surprising. Artificial surprise and long-winded lamentations about alleged human rights violations masked the real cause of the hysteria: Telegram had become a convenient tool for the Kremlin regime, its mouthpieces and even the military.

Now, all of a sudden, all of this – the letters and other accumulated information – is said to be at risk because Mr. Durov, under pressure from French law enforcement (and intelligence services), has allegedly given a speech that allowed access to things that should have been kept secret or controlled only by the Kremlin. How justified is this concern?

The fact that P. Durov formally probably anticipated a similar series of events, but still decided to fly to France, may make one suspect that the story is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

French media soon announced that the charges of “terrorism, drugs, fraud, money laundering, sale of stolen goods and sexual abuse of minors” were based on Telegram’s failure to monitor content. The app’s management refused to cooperate with the authorities.

Everyone who uses Telegram, especially those who follow Russian bloggers, knows that the content they create (written, video and other information, which often become a treasure trove of open source intelligence) has a dark side. Weapons trading, cryptocurrencies, pornographic content, especially violent videos glorifying terrorist activities in video form are common and are also a source of income for channel managers. Unlike other social networks, Telegram fully censors the above content.

French law enforcement therefore considers Mr. Durov to be an accomplice in the commission of crimes through the Telegram app. Mysteriously acquired in August 2021Paris officials detained him at a time when the Kremlin was publicly declaring Russia’s aggression against Ukraine without having to provide an explanation to the Russian Embassy. P. Durov himself was obliged to provide an explanation, but he did not do so, so the official reason for his detention is obvious.

If the founder of The Telegraph knew that there was an investigation against him but still flew to France, it is reasonable to propose the theory that he flew to make a deal. The question is only about what exactly was negotiated and with whom under the guise of an arrest show – with the French and their partners from other countries NATO Countries? Regardless, a sharply nervous reaction from Russia and its mediators is fueling concerns about reaching a deal.

Russian officials and politicians can express their concerns, curiosity or scream in public about people who allegedly violate freedom of expression (such as those who have fled to Russia) Edward Snowden or himself Elon Muskbut the overlapping patterns raise questions.

Snowden, the former U.S. spy, is no defender of free speech despite his initial portrayal as a victim, as he first passed U.S. secrets to Russian intelligence and was granted asylum in Moscow, where he became at least a mouthpiece for the regime’s narrative.

Musk, a controversial entrepreneur who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social network X, was quick to defend Durov, but the so-called defender of absolute freedom of expression was publicly reminded when he took over Twitter from 2022. 83% of requests to censor content from October to 2023 and even in April were approved – such information was provided by the Spanish publication “El Pais” in May this year, Based on research from other parts of the world, X and Lumen database data.

What’s more, it was recently revealed that Musk bought Twitter with the help of two Russian oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin regime, Piorz Avin and Vadim Moskovichius, who are considered Putin’s “wallets.” The Kremlin’s influence over Musk (whose narrative is eerily consistent with the Russian one) and Musk’s anti-Ukrainian stance have been discussed for some time. This time is no exception.

As news of Durov’s arrest emerged, the Russian Embassy in Paris accused French authorities of “unwillingness to cooperate.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova even recalled that in 2018, 26 non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Reporters Without Borders condemned Russia’s decision to block Telegram. In fact, the “blocking” was just a PR stunt – Telegram continues to be successfully used by millions of Russians in Russia itself and beyond.

However, attempts to portray Durov’s arrest as a so-called gift to Putin, saying he was just waiting for an opportunity to ridicule the free speech that the West prizes, are a diversion from the essence of what is happening. 5. Putin has no shortage of opportunities to manipulate the West – either directly or through their perceived or real image.

The fact that the messaging app Telegram offers text, voice and video messaging as well as video and audio calls, allows for live broadcasts, groups and chat channels, means that Telegram’s versatility has wide applicability.

For example, French authorities have been hampered by the use of tools such as cryptocurrencies and one-time numbers on unregulated platforms. Russian public figure, head of the Alliance for a Secure Internet “is not the sharpest knife in the drawer” Known as Putin’s mistress Ekaterina Mizulina deliberately said that “P. Durov’s arrest is a blow to the TON cryptocurrency used by many Russian businessmen.”

Given the dirty dealings of oligarchs associated with the regime, the hiding of Russian money, activities in the West and elsewhere, it is no accident that officials and businessmen are asked to delete their official correspondence. Margarita Simonian Urge everyone”, “Those who have become accustomed to using the Telegram application for secret conversations and communications, please delete these communications immediately and refrain from doing so again.”

Such calls do not only apply to cryptocurrency or other transactions. Russian propagandists, politicians and active supporters of the Kremlin consider Telegram to be one of their most important platforms for distributing revenue-generating content, even in the absence of illegal activity.

Another version of this hysteria in Russia is that Telegram is one of the most important, if not the most important, means of communication for Russian intelligence services, especially the military, just to achieve different goals.

Despite the alleged blockade in 2018 and the relocation of Mr. Durov’s operations to Dubai, it is no surprise that the Russian military uses Telegram for communications, data collection, analysis, and even planning operations – and the convenience and user-friendliness of Telegram are also a reason Russian Army There is no suitable alternative. When data exchange in modern warfare needs to be carried out in a fast, real and secure manner, encrypted communication and closed channels are very necessary.

The Russian military has invested little in such systems, and the use of mobile phones continues despite various bans imposed by the command.

What is worrying is that even basic information about personal data of Russian military personnel, letters, photos, videos – even if they are outdated, are now spreading like a virus after falling into the hands of the intelligence services of France or another NATO country. Whether it is records of crimes committed by the Russian army or the publication of its tactics, procedures, locations – everything is under real or perceived threat.

Russian intelligence services, both the SVR and the GRU, should be equally worried that in recent years they have become increasingly dependent on personnel hired in other countries, or even citizens of other countries, who were initially trusted for simple acts, such as provocative actions, such as defacing monuments, and similar actions, and eventually they selected those who were able to prepare more complex provocative, tracking missions.

These individuals are recruited and often kept in touch with through closed Telegram channels. Even if the risk of compromise is only a possibility, some operation organized, prepared or planned by Russian intelligence could be exposed, which would at least mean lost jobs and burned bridges, if not a “revelation” for the GRU and SVR agents themselves.

Finally, the last version of the French decision to take this step is that it is, after all, a warning to the Kremlin and a thinking, nervous force, what it actually got from Durov.

After all, the French intelligence services, like those of other countries, for some time have been able to form a good understanding of the organizations operating in Telegram, their content, the information stored in it, and P. Durov himself – so – the so-called “kompromats” could detain him and put him in prison for many years.

Yet detentions can also be a message to the Kremlin: We know, see and hear everything. Your intelligence and subversive actions seen recently in Europe – as well as cyberattacks, provocations, destruction of monuments, arson, all coordinated in Telegram channels – all of this is within your grasp. Ultimately, you will have to pay a heavy price for this.