Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Credit: AFP

Caption: Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, speaks onstage during day one of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2015 at Pier 70 on September 21, 2015, in San Francisco, California.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested by French police at an airport outside Paris on Saturday night, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Telegram Sunday.

Durov, holding French citizenship, was arrested on charges allegedly related to Telegram's refusal to cooperate with French law enforcement, French media reported.

The accusations against Durov include terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering, reports said, adding that Durov could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The Russian Embassy in France took prompt steps to clarify the situation before the New People party's representative Vladislav Davankov urged the Russian government to seek Durov's release, TASS reported.

"The Russian Embassy in Paris immediately began working on the case" as it is the duty of Russian diplomats to respond to cases involving the detention of Russian citizens abroad, Zakharova said.

Durov was reportedly detained as he exited his private jet after landing at Le Bourget Airport on Saturday night.

Durov founded Telegram in 2013. The messaging app is influential in Russia and has become a critical source of information during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.