Rumble CEO: Just escaped from Europe after Telegram CEO’s arrest

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Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovsky has yet to comment on the news that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France on Saturday night. Pavlovsky also happened to be in Europe.

On Sunday, the video platform’s CEO vowed to fight for freedom of expression in a message on X, after making it clear that he had just left the continent.

“I am a little late with this, but not without reason,” Pavlovsky wrote. “I have just safely left Europe.”

“France has threatened Rumble and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, allegedly for not censoring speech. Rumble will not tolerate this behavior and will use all legal means available to fight for freedom of speech, a universal human right. We are currently fighting in the courts of France and we hope for the immediate release of Pavel Durov.”

According to broadcasters LCI and TF1, Durov was arrested on Saturday evening at Paris-Le Bourget airport after landing in France from Azerbaijan.

Detectives from the French Anti-Fraud Office, which is attached to French customs, informed 39-year-old Durov that he was being held by police, the broadcasters reported.

Durov’s representatives were not immediately available for comment.

French prosecutors declined to comment on Durov’s arrest when contacted by the Associated Press news agency on Sunday, under the rules of an ongoing investigation.

French media reported that the arrest warrant for Durov was issued by France at the request of the country’s Interior Ministry’s special unit charged with investigating crimes against minors. These include online sexual exploitation, such as possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material and solicitation for sexual purposes.

This report used information from The Associated Press.