19 May , 12:30
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Zakharova reacted to Durov's statement about pressure from French intelligence before elections in Romania
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, gave a sharp assessment of the information revealed by Telegram founder Pavel Durov about attempts by French intelligence to manipulate content in the messenger on the eve of Romanian elections, reports TUT.AZ.
In her comment to "Izvestia," Zakharova emphasized that the facts voiced by Durov indicate direct French interference in Romania's internal political processes.
Earlier, Pavel Durov published information on the social network X that in spring 2025, the head of French foreign intelligence, Nicolas Lerner, allegedly approached him with a request to limit the activity of Romanian conservative political forces on Telegram before the elections. According to Durov, he categorically refused to comply with this demand.
"This is not just an encroachment on freedom of speech and a violation of human rights. Here we are talking about interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and an attempt to influence a fundamental democratic process - elections," Zakharova said in a comment to "Izvestia."
Recall that following the elections in Romania, held on May 18, independent candidate Nicușor Dan won with 53.60% of the votes. His main opponent, the leader of the "Alliance for the Unification of Romanians" party, George Simion, received 46.40%. Dan will lead the country for the next five years.
