Telegram founder Durov’s various citizenships add mystery to his detention

Over more than a decade, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram has amassed various different citizenships, something that’s only added to the mystery surrounding his detention in France.

Those passports provided Pavel Durov protection after he created and ran Telegram as a self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist. The app has been used by some to plan protests in repressive governments like in Iran and his native Russia. However, Western governments allege Telegram aided the work of drug traffickers, money launderers, militant groups and child pornographers.