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Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Telegram's Durov claims he stopped answering Macron's texts
Pavel Durov says he stopped replying to French President Emmanuel Macron after receiving a message in response to claims he made that France tried to influence Romania's recent presidential election. In an interview on Wednesday with Le Point, the Telegram CEO said he chose not to respond. In May, Durov accused Nicolas Lerner, the head of France's foreign intelligence agency (DGSE), of asking him to censor conservative voices on Telegram during Romania's election campaign. He also said, citing journalist Marius Tuca, that Lerner visited Romania two days before the vote. The agency has denied the claims. 'For a long time, he [Macron] could send me messages on Telegram about all sorts of topics,' the Russian-born entrepreneur told the newspaper. 'The last time was the day I spoke about the Romanian elections and the DGSE.' 'He sent me a message. I didn't reply,' he said. Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election carried out in November 2024 due to alleged Russian interference – claims which Moscow has denied. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who secured an unexpected lead after the vote, was disqualified from the re-run. In May, the conservative EU critic George Simion lost a run-off vote against pro-Brussels Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan by a single-digit margin. Simion later challenged the results, alleging 'external interferences by state and non-state actors,' but the nation's Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the petition. Following the petition, Durov offered to testify before the Romanian authorities about his interactions with French officials, saying he would do so 'if it helps Romanian democracy.' In August 2024, Durov was arrested in France and charged with complicity in crimes allegedly carried out by Telegram users. The entrepreneur, whose company is headquartered in Dubai, was ultimately released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail and allowed to leave the country in mid-March.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Durov claims he stopped answering Macron's texts
Pavel Durov says he stopped replying to French President Emmanuel Macron after receiving a message in response to claims he made that France tried to influence Romania's recent presidential election. In an interview on Wednesday with Le Point, the Telegram CEO said he chose not to respond. In May, Durov accused Nicolas Lerner, the head of France's foreign intelligence agency (DGSE), of asking him to censor conservative voices on Telegram during Romania's election campaign. He also said, citing journalist Marius Tuca, that Lerner visited Romania two days before the vote. The agency has denied the claims. 'For a long time, he [Macron] could send me messages on Telegram about all sorts of topics,' the Russian-born entrepreneur told the newspaper. 'The last time was the day I spoke about the Romanian elections and the DGSE.' 'He sent me a message. I didn't reply,' he said. Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election carried out in November 2024 due to alleged Russian interference – claims which Moscow has denied. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who secured an unexpected lead after the vote, was disqualified from the re-run. In May, the conservative EU critic George Simion lost a run-off vote against pro-Brussels Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan by a single-digit margin. Simion later challenged the results, alleging 'external interferences by state and non-state actors,' but the nation's Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the petition. Following the petition, Durov offered to testify before the Romanian authorities about his interactions with French officials, saying he would do so 'if it helps Romanian democracy.' In August 2024, Durov was arrested in France and charged with complicity in crimes allegedly carried out by Telegram users. The entrepreneur, whose company is headquartered in Dubai, was ultimately released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail and allowed to leave the country in mid-March.
Free Malaysia Today
31-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Romanian intelligence denies French spy chief's visit before election
Nationalist George Simion lost Romania's May 18 election run-off. (EPA Images pic) BUCHAREST : Romania's foreign intelligence service on Thursday denied that the French spy chief had visited the country before its presidential election run-off this month, as the Russian head of Telegram has claimed. Pavel Durov, the Telegram social network's CEO, has said that the head of France's foreign intelligence department, the DGSE, went to Bucharest a few days before the May 18 vote, and indicated that this was to influence the outcome of the run-off vote, ultimately won by centrist Nicusor Dan against a nationalist candidate. Romania's intelligence service, the SIE, made a rare public statement to deny that DGSE chief Nicolas Lerner had been in Bucharest before the election. 'To ensure that citizens are properly informed', said an SIE statement which named Lerner and mentioned reports of his alleged meetings in Bucharest, 'we clarify that such a visit did not take place'. Durov, who faces charges in France related to criminal activity on Telegram, has also said in social media messages and by video to a conference in Oslo that Lerner had requested he silence conservative Romanian commentators on the platform. The DGSE has denied those claims. The SIE statement said that the department's activities were 'apolitical' and 'clearly and transparently regulated by law'. The SIE 'will not give in to attempts at manipulation and disinformation in the public sphere, as insinuations of possible political involvement are unsubstantiated and intended to generate distrust of state institutions', it added. Nationalist George Simion, who lost the election run-off, went to Romania's constitutional court in a bid to get the result cancelled. He said there had been 'interference', including by France. The court rejected his appeal. The result of a first-round vote in November which another nationalist, Calin Georgescu, led, was cancelled because authorities ruled it had been influenced by Russian interference in the campaign. Georgescu was banned from taking part in the reorganised election won by Dan.
eNCA
27-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Telegram's Durov repeats claim France interfered in Romania vote
The co-founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, Pavel Durov, on Tuesday repeated his allegation that French intelligence pressured him to interfere in this month's Romanian presidential election. Durov's renewed claim during the Oslo Freedom Forum contradicted a denial by the DGSE, the foreign intelligence service of France, where he faces charges related to criminal activity on the Telegram platform. "I was indeed asked by the head of French intelligence, Nicolas Lerner", to turn off conservative Romanian Telegram channels ahead of the election, Durov said in an appearance by video after French judicial authorities denied his request to travel to Norway. "It's very important to be very transparent about what kinds of request we receive," added Durov, who did not provide fresh evidence for his claim. The 40-year-old, who holds French and Russian passports, was detained in Paris in August 2024 and is under investigation over illegal content on his popular messaging service. The Romanian election, re-run due to alleged Russian interference after a first-round vote put a far-right candidate ahead, ultimately saw pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan defeat nationalist George Simion. Romania's constitutional court on Thursday denied Simion's challenge to the results, which he based in part on claims of French and Moldovan interference. The court called his allegations "completely false and unfounded". The DGSE last week said it has contacted Durov in the past "to firmly remind him of (Telegram's) responsibilities... concerning prevention of terrorist and child pornography threats". But it "refuted vigorously" his allegations about attempted Romanian election interference. Durov also said Tuesday that Telegram "received a demand from the French police to shut down a public channel on Telegram which was organised by far-left protesters and demonstrators". The channel "seemed completely legitimate, and we refused to comply, despite the obvious personal risks I'm taking", he added. Durov was allowed in March to travel to Dubai, where his company is based, but French judicial authorities have more recently stopped him travelling to the United States to meet investors or to Norway for the Freedom Forum, organised by the Human Rights Foundation, a non-profit organisation. He called the investigation "frustratingly slow", adding that Telegram was "held at higher standards than most other platforms" -- with the likes of Facebook or Snapchat "protected by this big American government". Since his arrest, Durov had appeared to bow to Paris's demands for stronger efforts to ensure illegal content -- such as child abuse and drug trading -- was not on Telegram.
France 24
27-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Telegram's Durov repeats claim France interfered in Romania vote
Durov's renewed claim during the Oslo Freedom Forum contradicted a denial by the DGSE, the foreign intelligence service of France, where he faces charges related to criminal activity on the Telegram platform. "I was indeed asked by the head of French intelligence, Nicolas Lerner", to turn off conservative Romanian Telegram channels ahead of the election, Durov said in an appearance by video after French judicial authorities denied his request to travel to Norway. "It's very important to be very transparent about what kinds of request we receive," added Durov, who did not provide fresh evidence for his claim. The 40-year-old, who holds French and Russian passports, was detained in Paris in August 2024 and is under investigation over illegal content on his popular messaging service. The Romanian election, re-run due to alleged Russian interference after a first-round vote put a far-right candidate ahead, ultimately saw pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan defeat nationalist George Simion. Romania's constitutional court on Thursday denied Simion's challenge to the results, which he based in part on claims of French and Moldovan interference. The court called his allegations "completely false and unfounded". The DGSE last week said it has contacted Durov in the past "to firmly remind him of (Telegram's) responsibilities... concerning prevention of terrorist and child pornography threats". But it "refuted vigorously" his allegations about attempted Romanian election interference. Durov also said Tuesday that Telegram "received a demand from the French police to shut down a public channel on Telegram which was organised by far-left protesters and demonstrators". The channel "seemed completely legitimate, and we refused to comply, despite the obvious personal risks I'm taking", he added. Durov was allowed in March to travel to Dubai, where his company is based, but French judicial authorities have more recently stopped him travelling to the United States to meet investors or to Norway for the Freedom Forum, organised by the Human Rights Foundation, a non-profit organisation. He called the investigation "frustratingly slow", adding that Telegram was "held at higher standards than most other platforms" -- with the likes of Facebook or Snapchat "protected by this big American government". Since his arrest, Durov had appeared to bow to Paris's demands for stronger efforts to ensure illegal content -- such as child abuse and drug trading -- was not on Telegram.
