On August 27, the TON community published a statement tagged #FreeDurov in support of Pavel Durov. The call to release the Telegram founder through the Digital Resistance chatbot was joined by 2.5 million users.
French authorities detained the entrepreneur on Saturday, August 24, at Paris Le Bourget Airport.
According to a press release, this occurred as part of an investigation opened on July 8 against an “unnamed individual” on 12 charges. These include illegal provision of cryptographic services, refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, complicity in the distribution of child pornography, facilitation of drug trafficking, and involvement in organized crime.
As reported by Politico, French authorities issued an arrest warrant for Pavel and his elder brother Nikolai on March 25 for ignoring law enforcement requests.
“We urge the French authorities to immediately release Durov and respect the rights of the social platform to protect freedom of speech, user confidentiality, and privacy rights,” stated the TON Society.
Participants in the initiative also appealed to EU bodies to influence the French government.
Back in 2017, according to The Wall Street Journal, French and UAE intelligence agencies hacked the iPhone of the Telegram founder as part of an operation codenamed “Purple Music.”