Russia on Tuesday issued words of caution to France over its detainment of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, suggesting the move may be politically motivated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a Tuesday call with journalists urged Paris to provide evidence to support its allegations against Durov, Reuters and Russian state news agency Tass reported.
"The charges are very serious indeed," Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters-translated comments.
Peskov suggested that Durov's arrest could be viewed as both restricting freedom of speech and an act of intimidation if France fails to provide serious evidence of his guilt, Reuters and Tass reported.
Although born in Russia, Durov holds citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates.
Persons:
Pavel Durov, Dmitry Peskov, Durov, Peskov
Organizations:
Paris Public Prosecutor's, Reuters, Tass, United, United Arab Emirates
Locations:
Russia, France, Paris, United Arab, UAE