Telegram’s executive and creative director, Pavel Durov, was arrested by the French Air Transport Gendarmerie on 24 August on the runway of Paris-Le Bourget airport. The Children's Office of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (OFMIN) issued an arrest warrant against Durov on the basis of a preliminary investigation. According to French Justice, the lack of moderation of Telegram and Durov’s lack of cooperation with the authorities, along with the tools offered by the platform, such as the numbers to use and throw and cryptography, make it complicit in crimes such as drug trafficking, paedophilia or fraud, according to Efe. A French examining magistrate has prolonged the detention of the founder of Telegram, who has been arrested in Paris.

The telegram has responded via social media to the arrest of Durov, who has been arrested. The courier company notes that it “complies with EU law”, including the “Digital Services Act”, and underlines Durov’s innocence: “The Telegram Executive, Pavel Durov, has nothing to hide and often travels throughout Europe.” Durov has been arrested in France after descending from a flight from Baku (Azerbaijan) and residing in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), where he died shortly afterwards. They denounce that the platform or the owner of it "is absurd that they are responsible for the abuse" and are "waiting for the situation to be resolved as soon as possible".

Durov has a Russian, French and Emirati passport. Durov assured in an interview with right-wing American presenter Tucker Carlson who was in Russia, who had created the social network VKontakte, but who had to sell it and escape it “after receiving pressure from the Russian Government”, according to El Mundo. Former Russian Prime Minister and now Vice-President of the Security Council, Dimitri Medvedev, stated in his talks that when he asked Durov why he did not cooperate with the authorities, he replied that it was “by principle”, according to Europe Press. “I told him that in any country he would have serious problems,” Medvedev said. As to the reason for living in Dubai, Durov referred to the “neutrality” of the country. Telegram is based in Dubai.

The vice-president of the Russian National Duma, Vladislav Davankov, sent a letter to the Russian Foreign Minister, SERGEI Lavrov, to facilitate the release of Durov and stated that the arrest "hides political reasons" and that "can be used to obtain personal information from Telegram users", according to Europe Press. The Russian Embassy in Paris has accused France of renouncing cooperation between the two parties.