Amwaj

The story: French authorities have arrested the Russian-born founder of Telegram amid a probe into a slew of allegations against the tech entrepreneur. Pavel Durov, who also holds Emirati and French citizenship, is mainly accused of failing to act against the alleged criminal use of the popular smartphone app.

Hardline media in Iran have criticized France over the detention and accused the west at large of failing to uphold freedom of speech. However, other Iranians have pointed out the irony in such criticism given that conservatives support Tehran’s ban on Telegram.

The coverage: Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Aug. 24, with his detention extended the following day.

• Details of the charges against him are not clear but French media say Durov is accused of failing to take action to restrict the alleged criminal use of Telegram due to lackluster content moderation.
• The popular messaging platform has reportedly failed to cooperate with law enforcement over child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.
• In a statement on Aug. 26, Telegram said Durov has “nothing to hide,” adding, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”

French prosecutors have not commented on the arrest. However, France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Aug. 26 claimed that Durov’s detention “is in no way a political decision.”

• Macron charged that France is “deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication,” describing the arrest as “part of an ongoing judicial investigation.”
• The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, sought on Aug. 26 to distance itself from the detention but added that it was “ready to cooperate with the French authorities.”

The arrest has led to a flurry of reactions, including in Iran, where conservative outlets and state-run media have spoken out against France.

• Hardline Vatan-e Emrooz daily on Aug. 26 charged that France has “made a mockery of its claims to free speech.”
• The ultraconservative Quds news site asserted that Durov’s arrest “is a sign of how the west does not trust press freedoms.” It further argued that such freedoms are “a concept created for eastern nations.”
• Nour News, an outlet close to former national security advisor Ali Shamkhani, claimed that western intelligence services “played a part” in Durov’s arrest because the Telegram founder “refused to share users’ information.” No evidence was provided to back up the assertion.

In a move that has surprised observers, Iran’s conservative state broadcaster has also waded into the debate. On Aug. 26, it appeared to defend Durov’s past statements about not wanting to give governments access to Telegram—one of the very reasons why the messaging app has been blocked in Iran since 2018.

• Posting on Telegram, several pro-reform outlets referred to the state television report as “one of the wonders of the world.”
• Reza Rashidpour, a former television host, joked that someone should let Durov know that Iranian state television “is defending him.”
• Historian and documentary producer Hossein Dehbashi wrote on Twitter/X that the Persian language “lacks enough adjectives” to describe the state broadcaster.

The context/analysis: Telegram was reportedly the most popular smartphone messaging app in Iran when the authorities officially banned it in 2018.

• The platform was initially temporarily banned in Jan. 2018, amid nationwide anti-government protests. The restrictions were lifted when the unrest subsided. However, Telegram was permanently banned in Apr. 2018 due to what the authorities said were national security considerations.
• Thanks to widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs), Telegram remained the most widely used messaging app in Iran months after it was banned. It has consistently been among Iran's top three most popular apps, based on surveys carried out by the state-affiliated polling agency ISPA.

All major foreign social media platforms are blocked in Iran, leading to heavy use of proxy software such as VPNs to bypass restrictions.

• Despite the filtering, Iranian officials and state-linked entities maintain a strong presence on blocked platforms—including Telegram—where both the foreign ministry and presidency post on a near-daily basis.
• In spite of the bans on foreign-based social media platforms, surveys continuously show that Iranians heavily favor blocked apps over domestically-produced alternatives backed by the state.

Durov founded Telegram in 2015 in the United Arab Emirates, where he currently lives and became a citizen in 2021.

• In an interview with conservative US media figure Tucker Carlson in Apr. 2024, the 39-year-old entrepreneur said he had rejected some requests from governments to remove content from Telegram.
• “Where we thought it would be crossing the line—it would not be aligning with our values of freedom of speech and protecting people's private correspondence—we would ignore [such requests],” Durov said.

Iranian conservatives rarely miss a chance to criticize France, not least because Paris often slams Tehran over alleged human rights violations.

• In Mar. 2023, conservative officials and pundits slammed French authorities for cracking down on widespread protests against a move to increase the retirement age in France.
• During the months-long anti-establishment protests in Iran that erupted in Sept. 2022, following the death of a young woman in the custody of morality police, French President Macron took a leading role in slamming the Islamic Republic’s crackdown.

The future: Hardline media and politicians in Iran are often quick to criticize what they see as western double standards. This also serves to discredit criticisms leveled at the Islamic Republic.

• Many Iranians help lift some restrictions on Internet access, including major social media platforms.
• While Pezeshkian has promised to work towards reopening access to major global platforms, some experts point to Instagram rather than Telegram being the most likely candidate for a potential easing of restrictions.