Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of the Russia Today media group and RT TV channel, commented on the situation with the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France, stating in her Telegram channel that “the scriptwriters have completely slacked off” and recalling a similar situation with the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
“They made Assange out to be a rapist, and Durov a child abuser. The scriptwriters have completely slacked off. Of course, I’m not comparing the genuine truth-seeker Assange to the hypocritical Durov (who, by the way, blocked us in Europe, obeying orders, and was one of the first to do so),” she wrote.
Simonyan also noted that it’s “still entertaining to observe” and “especially amusing to see the choir of media outlets that have finally received their instructions.”
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Durov was arrested at Paris’s Le Bourget Airport on August 24. The businessman’s arrest sparked widespread criticism from the public in many countries.
Durov is suspected of ten violations and criminal offenses in France, including assisting in the administration of an online platform for illegal transactions by an organized group, which could lead to up to 10 years in prison. No official charges have been brought against him yet.
On Wednesday evening, Durov was released on bail, which he soon needs to pay (5 million euros). He is banned from leaving French territory and must check in with the police twice a week.
