Vucic attacks the West over the arrest of Pavel Durov in France

The founder of Telegram was treated as an advocate of freedom of expression when it suited the interests of the West, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said, attempting to attack the West over the arrest of Pavel Durov in France.

“The accusations against the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov in France, show that the West has abandoned the values it defended just a few years ago,” Vucic said.

The Russian-born billionaire is under investigation for several alleged offences related to criminal activity on the platform, including collaborating in illegal transactions with gangs, “solving crimes in an organized gang” and refusing to provide information to the authorities, according to French prosecutors.

Speaking on a news program on Monday evening, Vucic said Durov’s case was “interesting” and compared him to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.

“Everything is blurred, reality itself has been changed to suit their [the West’s] interests,” said Vucic, whose statement was praised by Russia and confirmed by Russian state media Russia Today.

Among the alleged crimes under investigation against Durov is “involvement in the management of a platform enabling an illegal transaction in an organized gang,” a criminal offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison.

The 39-year-old Durov was arrested on Saturday at Bourget airport in Paris. He was investigated for a number of criminal offenses, including allegations that his platform was involved in supporting fraudsters, drug traffickers and people who distribute child pornography.

The use of Telegram by terrorist groups and right-wing extremists has also been the focus of criticism due to its lack of content moderation.

He was remanded in custody for up to 96 hours, the maximum time someone can be held under French law before being charged.

/TheGeopost