Pavel Durov: "I am Russian, and I would rather die than become someone's agent"

Agency Curse: Durov Denies Accusations

The founder of the Telegram messenger Pavel Durov has resolutely denied accusations of cooperation with government agencies. In his speech, he categorically stated: "I am Russian! And I would rather die than become someone's agent." Durov emphasized that such claims have no basis and are considered unfounded.

The businessman added that people who express such opinions are not very familiar with his life and do not know about the role that VKontakte and Telegram played in protecting freedom of speech and privacy in Eastern Europe. According to Durov, Telegram spent more effort and money than any other social network to protect these values.

French provocations and refusal to cooperate

In early May, Durov reported that the head of French intelligence, Nicolas Lerner, had approached him with a request to block certain channels on Telegram. However, Durov categorically refused.

The official statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry confirms this information and cites a comment from Maria Zakharova, who emphasized that French President Emmanuel Macron arrested the founder of Telegram in order to influence the electoral process in Romania.