Verification Summary:
This statement is accurately attributed to Telegram's founder Pavel Durov who made this declaration on May 18, 2025, during Romania's presidential election run-off. He explicitly stated: "Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels"123.
Context of the statement: Durov claimed he received a request from a "Western European government" (implied to be France via a baguette emoji) to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of the election, which he "flatly refused"4132.
Multiple independent sources confirm this statement was published on Telegram by Durov himself, and was widely reported by Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and other international news outlets243.
French government denied the allegations that they requested such censorship35, but this doesn't affect the validity of Durov's statement about Telegram's policy position.
Important distinction: This is Telegram's stated policy position/intent, not an absolute guarantee. The claim database notes that while Telegram has this stated position, they do process legitimate legal requests from Romanian authorities regarding specific user data1.
Overall validity: 95%