Telegram’s Durov Claims French Intelligence Interfered in Moldova Elections

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has accused French intelligence of attempting to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova by requesting the platform to censor certain channels. His comments, made on March 3, 2024, coincide with the opening of polling stations in a race that has drawn significant international attention.

In a detailed post on his Telegram channel, Durov recounted an encounter from a year ago when he was in Paris. He stated that French intelligence contacted him through an intermediary, asking for assistance in censoring specific Telegram channels ahead of the Moldovan presidential elections. He explained, “About a year ago, while I was stuck in Paris, the French intelligence services reached out to me through an intermediary, asking me to help the Moldovan government censor certain Telegram channels ahead of the presidential elections in Moldova.”

Upon reviewing the channels flagged by both French and Moldovan authorities, Telegram took action against a few that were found to violate the platform’s guidelines. Durov further claimed that an intermediary later suggested that French intelligence would “say good things” about him to a judge who had issued an arrest warrant for him in August 2022, should he comply with their requests.

Following this initial communication, Durov noted that Telegram received a second list of “problematic” channels. He asserted that nearly all of these channels adhered to the platform’s rules and were legitimate. Their only common thread, he indicated, was that they expressed political opinions that were not aligned with the interests of the French and Moldovan governments. “Telegram refused to act on the second request,” he emphasized.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also weighed in on Durov’s allegations. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, “There has never been any doubt that such actions were taking place. The West operates without conscience on all fronts.”

Moldova is currently experiencing a pivotal moment as it conducts parliamentary elections described by officials in both Chisinau and Brussels as a significant democratic milestone. The elections pit President Maia Sandu’s pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) against the Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which advocates for Moldova’s constitutional neutrality.

As the elections unfold, the opposition has raised concerns, suggesting that the political narrative has been predetermined. This atmosphere of tension and suspicion surrounding electoral integrity underscores the importance of safeguarding democratic processes in Moldova.