Edward Snowden Condemns Pavel Durov’s Arrest as Attack on Human Rights
San Francisco: Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor and whistleblower, voiced strong support for Telegram Founder Pavel Durov on Sunday, condemning Durov’s recent arrest as a severe violation of fundamental human rights. Snowden, who was granted Russian citizenship last year, expressed his dismay via a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Snowden criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of resorting to “hostage-taking” to access private communications, which he believes reflects poorly not only on France but globally. “The arrest of @Durov is an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. I am surprised and deeply saddened that Macron has descended to the level of taking hostages as a means for gaining access to private communications. It lowers not only France, but the world,” Snowden’s post read.
Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire who founded the popular messaging app Telegram in 2013, was detained upon his private jet’s arrival at Le Bourget Airport in France. He was arrested under a warrant related to alleged offenses concerning his app.
Durov, who relocated from Russia in 2014 following his refusal to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, resides in Dubai. He holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His arrest has sparked significant controversy and raised concerns about the protection of digital privacy and freedom of expression.
