Telegram founder’s bodyguard and a woman described as his “assistant” were detained alongside Pavel Durov last week
A young woman arrested in Paris last week alongside Telegram founder Pavel Durov has reportedly been released after questioning, according to French media. The entrepreneur’s bodyguard has also been freed, while the Russian-born billionaire himself remains in custody.
Yulia Vavilova, a self-described crypto coach and Dubai-based streamer, has been spotted with Durov on several occasions and was on the tycoon’s private jet when they landed at Le Bourget Airport. The Russian tech billionaire – who also holds citizenship in the UAE, France, and St. Kitts and Nevis – was arrested after his plane landed in Paris last week. French authorities claim he was detained as part of a wider probe into alleged illicit activities on Telegram.
”His bodyguard and assistant, who accompany him at all times, were interviewed by investigators before being released, according to a source close to the case,” Le Figaro wrote on Monday.
While Durov and Vavilova had not publicly acknowledged their relationship, their frequent appearances together suggest a close connection. Her social media posts leading up to their arrest indicated she was in the same locations as the Telegram CEO, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. Vavilova also posted Instagram stories from what is believed to be Durov’s private plane.
Internet theories about her potential role in Durov’s arrest have proliferated, fueled by speculation regarding the timeline of their arrival in France and the subsequent detention.
Durov remains in custody and is being questioned in connection with a broader French cybercrime investigation targeting illicit activities on the billionaire’s end-to-end encrypted social media app, according to authorities.
Telegram has stated that it is absurd to blame the “platform or its owner” for its misuse by users, adding that the app “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act,” and maintains that its “moderation practices are aligned with industry standards.”
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The app – which has almost a billion users globally – was created by Durov and his brother in Russia in 2013. Telegram offers encryption for incoming and outgoing messages, enhancing privacy for both sender and recipient, and generally denies user data or chat records to law enforcement. Durov has noted that this has drawn unwanted attention from intelligence agencies worldwide.
