Serbian MP accuses West of employing 'mafafia tactics' on Durov
In an RT interview, Aleksandar Pavic asserted that France is pressuring Pavel Durov for Telegram's encryption codes to enable Western censorship. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
France is reportedly seeking Telegram’s encryption codes with the intention of censoring the messaging platform, claims Serbian lawmaker Aleksandar Pavic in an interview with RT.
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was detained in Paris on Saturday and charged with failing to cooperate with French authorities investigating serious crimes allegedly committed through the app.
“These are mafia tactics, let’s be very clear. They are trying to extort the encryption keys from him,” Pavic stated in his exclusive RT interview.
He expressed that if Durov resists the pressure, Telegram's future could be even brighter, noting a surge in the app’s downloads since Durov's arrest. “If Pavel Durov resists, I think [Telegram] has an even better future. If he doesn’t succumb to the pressure, to the blackmail,” he added.
Pavic warned that if Durov gives in to the demands, Russia would “warn the free world – which is no longer the West” – that Telegram has been compromised. He pointed out the double standards in how arrests are perceived, mentioning that had Durov been detained in Russia, the West would have criticized Moscow for its oppressive actions, yet such outrage is absent when France is involved, labeling this as a “totalitarian mindset.”
In his remarks, Pavic criticized the trend of censorship, emphasizing that people are tired of “Big Brother telling them what is right to read, what shouldn’t be read, what they should think and what they shouldn’t think,” indicating his use of Telegram is largely due to its relative freedom from censorship.
He elaborated that Durov's arrest is the latest in a series of attacks on free speech, a trend he believes began two decades ago around the time of the US invasion of Iraq and intensified with the arrest of Julian Assange in 2010, who exposed US war crimes.
Pavic highlighted that since 2014 and the US-backed Maidan coup in Ukraine, the “demonization” of Russia has been utilized to silence dissenting voices opposing mainstream media narratives. "Anyone’s fair game now,” he told RT, emphasizing that individuals who challenge the prevailing "Western, globalist, deep-state narrative" are targeted.
Durov, although a Russian national, also holds citizenship in the UAE, France, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Both Russia and the UAE have requested consular access, but their requests were denied as Paris considers Durov's French citizenship to be of higher importance.
Pavic, who represents the populist opposition party We – Power of the People, attended the BRICS Municipal Forum event in Moscow. His party won 12 seats in the 250-member parliament last fall, although it has since divided into two factions. As French President Emmanuel Macron prepares to visit Belgrade later this week, Pavic expressed hope that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would support his critique of Durov’s arrest through tangible actions, such as halting discussions regarding the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was detained in Paris on Saturday and charged with failing to cooperate with French authorities investigating serious crimes allegedly committed through the app.
“These are mafia tactics, let’s be very clear. They are trying to extort the encryption keys from him,” Pavic stated in his exclusive RT interview.
He expressed that if Durov resists the pressure, Telegram's future could be even brighter, noting a surge in the app’s downloads since Durov's arrest. “If Pavel Durov resists, I think [Telegram] has an even better future. If he doesn’t succumb to the pressure, to the blackmail,” he added.
Pavic warned that if Durov gives in to the demands, Russia would “warn the free world – which is no longer the West” – that Telegram has been compromised. He pointed out the double standards in how arrests are perceived, mentioning that had Durov been detained in Russia, the West would have criticized Moscow for its oppressive actions, yet such outrage is absent when France is involved, labeling this as a “totalitarian mindset.”
In his remarks, Pavic criticized the trend of censorship, emphasizing that people are tired of “Big Brother telling them what is right to read, what shouldn’t be read, what they should think and what they shouldn’t think,” indicating his use of Telegram is largely due to its relative freedom from censorship.
He elaborated that Durov's arrest is the latest in a series of attacks on free speech, a trend he believes began two decades ago around the time of the US invasion of Iraq and intensified with the arrest of Julian Assange in 2010, who exposed US war crimes.
Pavic highlighted that since 2014 and the US-backed Maidan coup in Ukraine, the “demonization” of Russia has been utilized to silence dissenting voices opposing mainstream media narratives. "Anyone’s fair game now,” he told RT, emphasizing that individuals who challenge the prevailing "Western, globalist, deep-state narrative" are targeted.
Durov, although a Russian national, also holds citizenship in the UAE, France, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Both Russia and the UAE have requested consular access, but their requests were denied as Paris considers Durov's French citizenship to be of higher importance.
Pavic, who represents the populist opposition party We – Power of the People, attended the BRICS Municipal Forum event in Moscow. His party won 12 seats in the 250-member parliament last fall, although it has since divided into two factions. As French President Emmanuel Macron prepares to visit Belgrade later this week, Pavic expressed hope that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would support his critique of Durov’s arrest through tangible actions, such as halting discussions regarding the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
