The Russian-born head of the popular but controversial messaging app was sensationally detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on August 24. Photo Credit: Reuters
Arrest and charges of Telegram founder pavel durov The United Nations said on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) that it is a complex issue that raises many human rights concerns.
The Russian-born head of the popular but controversial messaging app has been sensationally… Detained at Le Bourget Airport On August 24 he was charged outside Paris with multiple violations related to the messaging app.
He was also banned from leaving France.
Many questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of Durov’s detention, with supporters seeing the 39-year-old Durov as a champion of freedom of expression while critics see him as a threat who deliberately allowed Telegram to spiral out of control.
“This is a very complex case. It raises a number of human rights concerns,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office.
He told a media briefing that the Geneva-based agency was considering publishing a paper that would “set out the parameters within which these situations should be observed.”
He also cited the recent blocking of X in Brazil, where the country’s Supreme Court on Monday confirmed a decision by one of its judges to suspend the social media platform for alleged judicial violations.
Shamdasani said Brazil’s suspension of X also “raises concerns that states have a duty to ensure that social media platforms comply with freedom of expression laws”, but with certain restrictions.
He said all sanctions imposed must be “proportionate” and “in line with international human rights standards”.
“So we are monitoring the matter, and at this point it’s hard for us to get more specific information about the case and the allegations against Durov because the U.N. human rights office doesn’t have access to the full information.”
He said states should be able to regulate platforms, and they themselves must comply with laws consistent with international human rights law.
“The principles of legality, necessity and proportionality, hate speech, incitement to hatred or violence, harmful misinformation need to be taken into account,” he said.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk wrote to ‘X’ owner Elon Musk in November 2022, urging him to make respect for human rights central to the social network.
In an open letter, they warned against the promotion of hate speech and misinformation and highlighted the need to protect user privacy.