Paris
“Time TV”
 — 

Russian authorities spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters on Tuesday that calls for customers to delete their delicate messages on the app, together with from the editor of Russia’s state-run RT information, have been “completely silly.”

Peskov added that although the allegations in opposition to Durov, who was born in Russia but additionally has citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, have been “critical,” French authorities must put ahead “equally critical” proof to again them up.

“In any other case, there shall be a direct try to limit freedom of communication. And we will even say direct intimidation of the pinnacle of a giant firm. Which suggests there shall be politics concerned, one thing that Mr. Macron denied yesterday,” Peskov stated.

The Kremlin’s transfer to assuage issues over the longer term security of Telegram underscores how essential the app has turn into to Russia’s navy.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday stated the choice to carry fees in opposition to Durov was “by no means political,” a uncommon transfer as French leaders usually keep away from discussing prison instances to keep away from any suggestion of politics influencing judicial affairs.

The Paris prosecutor’s workplace on Monday introduced a litany of fees in opposition to Durov, together with allegations that his platform was complicit in aiding cash launderers, drug traffickers and folks spreading little one pornography. Prosecutors additionally accused Durov of refusing to adjust to French authorities’ demand for assist intercepting doubtlessly illicit communications.

At a information convention in Moscow following talks along with his Yemeni counterpart on Tuesday, Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged, with out proof, that “Durov was clearly taken away on somebody’s recommendation and is being threatened with horrible punishment, apparently hoping to someway acquire entry to encryption codes.”

With round 950 million customers, Telegram is one of many world’s hottest messaging apps. Its robust end-to-end encryption, restricted content material moderation and performance — it permits customers to share bigger information, longer movies and higher-quality photographs than lots of its rivals — has made it extraordinarily standard in each nations the place freedom of speech is curtailed and in warfare zones, together with in Ukraine, the place it has turn into a significant instrument for Ukrainian officers to share navy updates and warnings about air raids.

“It is vitally handy, it is vitally safe,” Lavrov stated.

Those self same options have additionally made Telegram a key communication instrument for the Russian navy and pro-Kremlin bloggers. One standard pro-Russian warfare blogger with greater than 780,000 followers reshared a submit saying that France’s determination to arrest Durov meant that “in essence, the pinnacle of communications for the Russian Armed Forces was detained.”

One other less-followed navy blogger posted an image with the phrases “for Pavel” on a missile presumably sure for Ukraine, which on Monday was hit by the most important aerial assault for the reason that warfare started.

The blogger, Aleksei Sukonkin, stated that Telegram is “the premise of navy communications,” even when Russian authorities officers publicly dispute the declare.

“Telegram is a strong, various to the official, and naturally, extra environment friendly data useful resource; telegram can be the principle civilian messenger in Russia, virtually uncontrolled by Western intelligence businesses, in addition to a strong promoting useful resource and a platform for private blogs,” Sukonkin stated. “All that is underneath menace.”

Telegram’s reputation with pro-Russian navy bloggers and the Kremlin’s energetic assist for Durov is considerably shocking contemplating the tech entrepreneur refused to produce Moscow with information from customers of his earlier enterprise, a Fb-like social media community referred to as Vkontakte (VK).

Durov later resigned as VK’s CEO and offered his shares for hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. Each he and Telegram are actually based mostly in Dubai.

“Time TV”’s Clare Duffy contributed to this report.