Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday weighed in on reports suggesting that he met with Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in Baku just before Durov’s arrest in Paris.
Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport in France on August 24, 2024, after his private jet arrived from Azerbaijan, where he had been on holiday.
Putin's two-day state visit to Azerbaijan's capital Baku from August 18 to 19 coincided with Durov’s stay in the same city, fueling rumors of a secret meeting between the two Russians.
Some reports suggested that this alleged meeting could have led to Durov's arrest in Paris, possibly due to suspicions from Western intelligence agencies. Telegram, known for its encryption and privacy features, is reportedly used extensively by both Russian and Ukrainian militaries as a convenient communication tool, adding to the intrigue surrounding the incident.
Fielding a question at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok about whether he met with Durov, Putin said that while he had met Durov once in Moscow many years ago, they had not been in contact since.
"I met Mr. Durov once in Moscow many years ago. He was just talking to me about his business development plans. I meet regularly with business people, and he was at one of those meetings. I don't actually remember when - it was many years ago. We haven't seen each other since then, we've never maintained contact."
"Why we need to meet in Baku, I don't really understand, I didn't even know he was there. I had no idea about it," Putin said at a televised plenary session in Vladivostok.
He also appeared to question the reasons behind Durov's arrest.
"We had no issue with him. I know that many countries had complaints, given that the platform can be used in a certain way by some people," Putin said.
"I think the Russian government might have had some questions for him as well. But all platforms of this kind are guilty of similar issues to some extent. If Durov is being arrested for this, then logically, other platform owners should face the same consequences — whether that’s closure, arrest, house arrest, or other restrictions on their freedom," he added.
Durov, who faces legal scrutiny in France over allegations of facilitating illegal activity on Telegram, remains under judicial supervision with a bail set at €5 million ($5.56 million), though no formal charges have been brought against him yet.
Elon Musk has been an outspoken defender of Pavel Durov since the Telegram CEO's arrest, criticizing the detention as a violation of free speech and warning that it heralds "dangerous times."
Musk has also hinted at the need to be cautious about his own travel plans in light of Durov's arrest in France.
"Probably wise for me to limit movements to countries where free speech is constitutionally protected," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Probably wise to for me to limit movements to countries where free speech is constitutionally protected
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024
