Nigel Farage sounds the alarm over Elon Musk arrest as he issues free speech warning

Nigel Farage has cautioned that Elon Musk may be in trouble following the arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app.

Durov, a Russian billionaire, had been travelling to France from Azerbaijan on his private jet when French police targeted him as part of a preliminary investigation. He will appear in court at a later date after being detained by police at Le Bourget airport.

No official reason has been given for his arrest, however, local media has said it was linked to his app, which has become the main Russian channel for conveying news on the Ukraine war.

Farage, leader of Reform UK, has warned that the arrest could be a deterrent against free speech.

Writing on X, owned by billionaire Musk, he said: “The arrest of Pavel Durov is worrying.

“Telegram is a secure free speech app. It may have some bad actors, but then all platforms do.

“What next… the arrest of Elon Musk?”

News broadcasters BFMTV and TF1 have quoted unnamed sources as saying the Russian-born entrepreneur was the subject of a search warrant.

Both outlets have said the investigation into Pavel – who became a French citizen in 2021 – was centred on the lack of moderators on the app, as well as users engaging in criminal activity.

Neither French police, the Interior Ministry, nor Telegram have commented on those claims.

Musk, who purchased X – formally known as Twitter – in 2022, has voiced his support for Durov.

The 39-year-old, who is one of the world’s wealthiest people, used the hashtag #FreePavel and retweeted posts slamming the arrest.

“It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme,” Musk wrote.

More to follow…