Set Telegram CEO Durov free letter surpasses 2.7 million signatures on messaging app

Quick Take

  • A Telegram mini-app that allows people to sign a letter in support of freeing the messaging platform’s CEO and founder, Pavel Durov, has attracted roughly 2.7 million signatures.
  • The messaging app has said it has close to 1 billion users. 

In a show of support, more than 2.7 million Telegram users have signed a letter advocating for French authorities to release recently detained Pavel Durov, CEO and founder of the messaging app.

Users can sign the letter via a mini-app accessible through Telegram. TON Society, a promoter of the TON blockchain, launched the mini-app on Tuesday.  

"The arrest of [Durov] is a direct assault on the basic human right, the freedom of expression of everyone," TON Society said in the letter. The organization said it condemned Durov's arrest, which happened over the weekend at a Paris airport.

Durov was arrested as part of a sweeping cybercrime investigation that included allegations of providing "cryptology" services and tools, according to a statement released by the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris on Monday.

On Wednesday, Durov was released from police custody and sent to a court for questioning, according to CNN. He could still be indicted, French prosecutors told the media outlet.

"TON Society is a community-focused organization focused on the decentralization of TON," the group told The Block on Tuesday. "With this initiative, it’s clear what the opinion was, free speech is not a crime! Pavel Durov should be free."

Popular crypto-sphere figures have also expressed their support for Durov, including Elon Musk, TRON founder Justin Sun, and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko.

Telegram has said it has about 1 billion users worldwide. It is unclear how many of those are bots.


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RT Watson is a senior reporter at The Block who covers a wide array of topics including U.S.-based companies, blockchain gaming and NFTs. Formerly covered entertainment at The Wall Street Journal, where he wrote about Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and the creator economy while focusing primarily on technological disruption across media. Previous to that he covered corporate, economic and political news in Brazil while at Bloomberg. RT has interviewed a diverse cast of characters including CEOs, media moguls, top influencers, politicians, blue-collar workers, drug traffickers and convicted criminals. Holds a master's degree in Digital Sociology.

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