UAE Asks French Officials for Access to Detained Telegram Founder

The UAE is “closely following the case,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Providing him with “all the necessary consular services” is “an urgent manner.”

Earlier, the Russian embassy in France demanded access to Durov, who was born in St. Petersburg and lived in Russia until 2013. Durov also is a citizen of France.

Durov now lives in Dubai and that’s where Telegram, which has around 900 million monthly active users, is based. The UAE government has made it easier in recent years for foreigners to get long-term residency and it’s also given citizenship to a small number of high-profile or wealthy individuals.

Durov has been detained in France over claims that the messaging service failed to properly fight crime. The French investigation alleges he refused to help authorities run legal wiretaps on suspects, enabled the sale of child sexual abuse material and aided and abetted drug trafficking.