Telegram Co-founder’s Partner Narrates Ordeal After His Arrest

The partner of Telegram co-founder Juli Vavilova has narrated her ordeal during and after her partner’s arrest in Paris. Juli, who was displeased with what happened during that time, lost her pregnancy largely due to the stress both she and the foetus went through during the period.

The revelation, which provides some insight into how the arrest happened, exposed the actions of the French government, which arrested her partner.

In a report by Today’s Gazette, Pavel Durov was arrested for operating Telegram, which many referenced as a black market for drugs and other criminal activity.

In a telegram post, Juli said Pavel was picked up by the police shortly after landing in Paris. Along with Pavel’s personal assistant and Juli, they were first detained for 3 hours before allowing her and the PA to go, while Pavel was still held in custody.

When she woke up, her device had been seized, but she hoped Pavel would join them soon.
Shortly after, they got new phones and were surprised to hear in the news that Pavel could spend 20 years in prison.
Juli, who was depressed by publications from bloggers who blamed her for Pavel’s arrest and alleged that she was an agent of the government, began to panic.

“Pavel’s arrest, the lies, and the hate directed towards me. I had no access to my socials, phone, nothing. I couldn’t respond and just had to accept it all,” she said.
During this process, she felt the need for a pregnancy test and was surprised by the result—Juli was pregnant.

“The shock on my face when it said ‘Pregnant.’ I felt helpless, unable to run to Pavel with the happy news, as he was still unreachable.”

While the police requested her for questioning, her doctor advised her not to go, as it could be dangerous for the baby. However, four weeks later, she went in for a 3-4 hour interrogation with the police.

This October, she went to the doctor and was told the baby was no longer breathing.

Speaking about the ordeal, Pavel mentioned that the pressure on Juli was immense while he was away, with some calling her a “Mossad agent” and others claiming it was her social media posts that led to their arrest at the airport.