Telegram's Durov Defies Western European Government Censorship Request

2025-05-19 01:35:03

(MENAFN) Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, announced on Sunday that he declined a request from a “Western European government” aiming to “silence” conservative channels in Romania as the nation approaches its second round of presidential elections.

In his statement shared on Telegram, Durov did not reveal which government made the request but emphasized that he “flatly refused” to comply.

“Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels. You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy. You can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections.

“You either have freedom of speech and fair elections — or you don’t. And the Romanian people deserve both,” Durov stated.

These comments came as Romanian citizens began voting in the second round of presidential elections today, following an initial round on May 4 where no candidate achieved a majority.

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