OPINION: Durov’s Arrest Is About Telegram as Russian Weapon, Not Free Speech

Following the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Aug. 24 at a Paris airport, the Kremlin is capitalizing on the notion that Western countries overall, who are “supposedly committed” to free speech, have arrested someone whom they claim is a champion of free speech.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that the detention of Pavel Durov was politically motivated, something that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked was “a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”

Presidential Human Rights Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova claimed that the reason for Durov’s arrest was to shut down Telegram, “a platform where you can discover the truth about what’s happening in the world… everyone who strives for free speech protests this,” which corresponded to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova who warned that France had “trampled on international norms in the sphere of protection of freedom of speech and expression for one reason only: because if they protect some standards, they must not only meet them, but also protect and fulfill them.”

“Relations between Moscow and Paris have flatlined, partly because of the stance Paris assumed regarding freedom of speech, freedom to disseminate information, and with respect to the profession of journalism in general,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

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As usual, Russian authorities were keen to argue that Washington was lurking behind the planned take-over of Telegram.

The chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that the arrest was organized by the Americans, rather than the French, saying: “Telegram is one of the few... over which the United States has no influence. On the eve of the US presidential election, it is important for Biden to take Telegram under control.”

Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan warned Russians to delete sensitive information before Durov ceded Telegram’s encryption to French authorities.

Curiously, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin argued that Durov was most likely not going to allow the West to get its hands on the platform’s sensitive information, something that could have been done to prevent the mass-deletion of data from the platforms to which Russian intelligence likely has access.

Some in the West, who have shown partiality towards the Kremlin’s narratives, got upon the free-press train with Elon Musk posting on his platform, X, #freePavel.

Tucker Carlson, who interviewed Durov this past April, only months after he interviewed President Vladimir Putin, took to X saying that Durov was in jail “for allowing the public to exercise free speech.”

Why would Russia weaponize free speech? Putin is not a military man – he comes from a KGB background. He knows how to manipulate his enemies and how to exploit their vulnerabilities. The US and France are democracies with laws pertaining to freedom of speech and expression – and while this is their great strength, it is also an opening for Putin to employ Russia’s arsenal of information operations to further polarize their populations. Accusing France of undermining free speech is a message that resonates with French citizens, but also Americans and others who live in similarly structured states.

As Russia weaponizes free speech in the West, in September Putin said that Russian media is free. Putin conveniently left out the fact that Russian authorities have blocked Western social media platforms. 

It’s important to remind the Western champions of free speech that for Russia’s Ministry of Defense, information is a weapon. State intrusion in the media beginning in 2012 when Russia strengthened its control over the information space. In May 2019, Russia adopted a “sovereign internet law,” designed to tighten control of internet infrastructure within the country, cutting off internet from the rest of the world.

The crackdown has only intensified since February 2022, as Russia wages its war of aggression in Ukraine. Russia immediately introduced war censorship laws that made protest against the war an offense worthy of prison time. Disparaging commentary about the Russian military or spreading of “false information” about the invasion is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Also, Western free speech champions should be reminded that Durov’s arrest has little to do with free speech – Telegram has been used as Russia’s propaganda tool for years. Moreover, Durov was investigated with regard to several alleged offenses relating to sexual abuse and exploitation of minors, alleged fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism.

While free speech allows citizens of democracies around the world to speak their minds, criticize their governments and officials, muse about the state of the economy, promote their businesses, etc., it does not give anyone the right to spread violence or harm others through speech or expression.

The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.