Yulia Vavilova, who accompanied Telegram founder Pavel Durov to France, has been detained by local police along with the Russian entrepreneur, according to several media reports.
Vavilova, who describes herself as a crypto coach and a streamer from Dubai, has been spotted with Durov on multiple occasions and was on the private jet with him when they landed in Paris, media outlets have claimed.
The Russian tech mogul – who is also a citizen of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis – was arrested after his private jet landed at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday. He is reportedly being accused of failing to curb criminal activities on his platform.
Durov and Vavilova have not made their relationship public, however, their frequent appearances together suggest a close relationship. Vavilova’s posts on social media indicate that she was recently in the same countries at the same time as the Telegram founder, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan.
The woman, who has more than 22,000 followers on Instagram, also posted stories from what is believed to be Durov’s private jet, along with several pictures of herself when she was reportedly together with the entrepreneur in Paris.
The timing of their arrival in the French capital and the subsequent arrest has led to widespread speculation about Vavilova’s role in Durov’s detention.
Some reports circulating online alleged that Vavilova might have unintentionally or even deliberately attracted the attention of authorities with her numerous posts disclosing Durov’s location.
Her Instagram bio claims she speaks four languages – English, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic, and interests in “gaming, crypto, languages and mindset.”
Telegram, which has approximately 1 billion active monthly users, was created by Durov and his brother in 2013 in Russia. The entrepreneur left Russia in the mid-2010s and settled in Dubai. He was granted French citizenship in 2021.
Commenting on Durov’s arrest, Telegram announced on Sunday that the company complies with EU laws and content-moderation policies, adding that it is “absurd” to claim that Durov is responsible for the misuse of the platform by bad actors.
Many Russian politicians condemned Durov’s arrest, with some suggesting that it could be politically motivated. Multiple public figures in the West, including journalist Tucker Carlson and entrepreneur Elon Musk, have also spoken out in Durov’s defense.