Hong Kong-based political analyst Angel Giuliano claims that Western allies are striving to assume total control over the media narrative by going after platforms like Telegram that facilitate the exchange of information minus the government intrusion.
There have also been a lot of other attacks on free speech as of late, including the recent FBI raid on the home of Scott Ritter, a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer. Or how about the death of Chilean-American journalist Gonzalo Lira while in Ukraine's custody?
Independent journalist Richard Medhurst was also nabbed by British police earlier this month at London's Heathrow Airport for criticizing the United States, Great Britain and Israel for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Medhurst was arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act (2000).
"There is actually an oppression of journalists and freedom of speech in the West and especially in the EU," Giuliano told Sputnik, a Russia-based media outlet.
(Related: Much like the United States, Ukraine claims to be a bastion of freedom and democracy even as the Zelensky regime persecutes Christians by banning the Orthodox Church.)
Free speech has become very "inconvenient" for the West
Concerning Durov, Western powers claim the Telegram founder did not do enough to stop allegedly criminal activities from being organized and discussed through the platform. If convicted, Durov faces up to 20 years in prison.
Durov expressed concerns to Tucker Carlson a few months back about the U.S. government's mistreatment, indicating that he has been a target of Western intelligence services for a while.
U.S. cybersecurity officials wanted Durov to create special backdoor access for them to probe users' private conversations. When Durov refused, warning that such a backdoor would enable more government abuses, Western intelligence put him in their crosshairs for elimination.
"I wouldn't be surprised that they would try to get their hands on Telegram, to strike a deal with Telegram, saying 'well, we release you; you give us a price and maybe we can buy you,'" Giuliano said, arguing that Durov's arrest is likely serving as some kind of "bargaining chip."
"What they say clearly at the EU is that they need to control the narrative because that's everything," he added, noting that freedom of speech and the First Amendment has become very "inconvenient" for Western governments. "The narrative you control controls the mind of the people."
What makes Durov's arrest curious is the fact that he became a French citizen just three years ago, the suggestion being that he is in good standing with the French government. In 2023, French media celebrated the fact that Paris had chosen "an exceptional and highly political procedure" in order to grant Durov citizenship.
Then, all of a sudden and seemingly out of nowhere, French authorities turned on Durov by capturing him at the airport.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk faces similar treatment now that he owns X (formerly Twitter) and has rebranded it as a social media platform that values free speech. Musk could one day find himself in handcuffs if he travels to the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Keep in mind that Elon Musk hasn't actually complied with EU regulation. And in reality, he would be de facto also another target," Giuliano said. Arresting Durov, he added, is "really a red flag overall for journalists and for whoever is actually spilling the truth, inconvenient truth.
In the comments, many people expressed concern that other platforms similar to Telegram might be next.
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