Peskov Calls Deleting Telegram Messages 'Complete Absurdity'

Amid the arrest of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, the idea of deleting messages on the platform has been deemed a "complete absurdity" by Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of Russia. He also emphasized that staff members of the presidential administration do not use any messenger for official purposes. This would constitute a violation of official rules and ethics, Peskov clarified.

“Civil servants, in theory, should not use messengers for official purposes, as no messenger is reliable in terms of information security, including Telegram,” Gazeta.ru quotes the press secretary of the Russian President.

French intelligence services arrested Pavel Durov on August 24. Three days later, his detention was extended for an additional 48 hours. The programmer has been charged with 12 crimes, including complicity in pedophilia, drug trafficking, fraud, and other offenses. Investigators claim that Durov refused to provide necessary data at the request of authorized bodies.

Commenting on the events, Peskov emphasized that these charges are extremely serious and require equally serious evidence. Otherwise, Durov's case could be considered political.