- Sputnik International, 1920
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Telegram CEO Durov's Arrest Shows West Unleashing Witchhunt Against Truth-Tellers

© Sputnik / Natalia SeliverstovaTelegram messenger logo on a tablet screen. (File)
Telegram messenger logo on a tablet screen. (File) - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.08.2024
Subscribe
Pavel Durov's arrest is part of a broader crackdown on truth-seekers and freedom of speech in the West. According to Hong Kong-based political analyst Angelo Giuliano, Western elites are attempting to exert total control over the media narrative, as he explained to Sputnik.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested shortly after landing at Bourget airport near Paris late on Saturday and taken into custody by the French authorities.

"There is actually an oppression of journalists and freedom of speech in the West and especially in the EU," Angelo Giuliano, a Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst, told Sputnik, commenting on Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France.

Giuliano also pointed to the FBI’s raid on the home of Scott Ritter, a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer, and mentioned that late Chilean-American journalist Gonzalo Lira died while in Ukrainian custody.
The analyst also drew attention to the arrest of independent journalist Richard Medhurst by British police on August 15 at London’s Heathrow Airport. The journalist known for his critical coverage of the US, British and Israeli role in the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza, was arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act (2000).
Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, center, smiles as he leaves after a press conference following his meeting with Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara in Jakarta, Indonesia Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.08.2024
World
'Demons are Losing Control': Influencers React to Pavel Durov's Detainment
When it comes to Durov, the Telegram founder is accused of allegedly enabling criminal activities through insufficient moderation of the platform, the French press claims, adding that he faces up to 20 years behind bars.
In his April interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov suggested that he is a target for Western intelligence services. He said that US cybersecurity officials previously attempted to create a backdoor in his app. Durov stressed that such a backdoor would enable tighter government control over social media platforms.
"I wouldn't be surprised that they would try to get their hands on Telegram, to strike a deal with Telegram saying, well, we release you, you give us a price and maybe we can buy you," Giuliano said, presuming that the arrest serves as a sort of "bargaining chip."
Freedom of speech has become very "inconvenient" for the West, according to the pundit: "What they say clearly at the EU is that they need to control the narrative, because that's everything. The narrative you control controls the mind of the people."
“It can happen to anybody” – former CIA analyst Larry Johnson - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.08.2024
Analysis
Censorship, Suppression of Free Speech at Heart of Telegram Crackdown – Ex-CIA Analyst
Giuliano noted that just three years ago, Durov became a French citizen, indicating that the Telegram founder was in good standing with the French government. In 2023, French media reported that Paris had chosen "an exceptional and highly political procedure" to grant Durov citizenship.
This abrupt shift in the French authorities' stance has raised questions, Giuliano pointed out.
The pundit suggests that Durov's arrest rings alarm bells for people like Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk: "Keep in mind that Elon Musk hasn't actually complied with EU regulation, and in reality he would be de facto also another target."
The arrest of the Telegram CEO is "really a red flag overall for journalists and for whoever is actually spilling the truth, inconvenient truth," Giuliano concluded.
Pavel Durov - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.07.2021
World
Telegram Founder Durov Claims to Know He Was On Pegasus Targets List
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала