"These accusations [which may presumably be laid against Durov] have a political background, all the details of which have not yet been clarified. There is no doubt that there are some hidden details, attempts to impose conditions and instructions from Western countries in order to make this application a tool of the West," the deputy minister said.
Dawa added that Telegram had provided users with ample opportunities, without interfering in the politics of states or the messages that users exchange. He added that Western countries, especially the United States, had tried to interfere with Telegram and impose their own agenda, but the app's refusal to cooperate had made it a target.
The official recalled the repeated interference by the US in the work of social media platforms, primarily social networks X and Facebook (owned by Meta, banned in Russia for extremism and terrorism), citing evidence that US intelligence agencies allegedly have control over these platforms and give instructions to them regarding the promotion or blocking of certain content.
Russian-born Durov, who holds citizenship in several countries including France, was detained at a Paris airport on Saturday on charges related to the criminal use of his Telegram app, including terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and fraud, which could land the 39-year-old billionaire in prison for up to 20 years.
Durov's term of detention expires on August 28 at 8:00 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT). Until then, he must either be charged or released. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Durov's arrest was not a political decision and promised that the decision on the businessman's case will be made by judges.