Was Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s girlfriend the reason behind his arrest?

Telegram's Pavel Durov detained in Paris; company claims compliance with EU laws and denies platform abuse responsibility.

Russian-born founder of Telegram Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris at Le Bourget airport shortly after landing on a private jet late on Saturday from Azerbaijan. Yulia Vavilova, believed to be his girlfriend, was also arrested with him, reports claimed. News agency AFP reported that loved ones haven’t been able to get in touch with her since the arrest of Pavel Durov. The same woman could also be the reason he was caught in the first place.

Yulia Vavilova has been spotted with Pavel Durov on multiple occasions and was also on the private jet with him when they landed in Paris.

Telegram, in a short statement, gave no details of the arrest but said the company abided by European Union laws and its moderation was "within industry standards and constantly improving."

The company said, "Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all."

Pavel Durov was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegedly allowing a wide range of crimes due to a lack of moderators on Telegram, reports claimed.

Yulia Vavilova has been spotted with Pavel Durov on multiple occasions and was also on the private jet with him when they landed in Paris. She has also earlier posted Instagram stories from Pavel Durov's jet and posted several pictures of herself when they were together in Paris.