Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski announced that he has “safely departed” from Europe following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France and subsequent threats made against Rumble by French authorities.
Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on Sunday after arriving from Azerbaijan on a private jet. The arrest, carried out under a warrant for Durov, who holds dual citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, is reportedly linked to allegations that he failed to moderate content on Telegram. Durov now faces serious charges, including terrorism, narcotics trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods, which could result in a 20-year prison sentence.
In response to the situation, Pavlovski issued a strong statement condemning the actions against Durov and reaffirming his commitment to defending freedom of expression.
I’m a little late to this, but for good reason — I’ve just safely departed from Europe.
France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech.
Rumble will not stand for this behavior and…
— Chris Pavlovski (@chrispavlovski) August 25, 2024
“France has threatened Rumble, and now they