Pavel Durov has stated that the conservative activist’s “mission” must endure.
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has asserted that the killing of conservative American influencer Charlie Kirk constitutes an assault on freedom of speech, issuing a caution that other liberties could similarly soon be endangered.
In a Telegram post, Durov commended Kirk, writing that he “fought for open debate, and enemies of truth hated him for it,” as he paid tribute to the activist who was fatally shot on Wednesday during an address to thousands of students at a Turning Point USA gathering at Utah Valley University.
While US officials have characterized the killing as a deliberate political assassination, Durov himself labeled it a direct “assault on free speech.”
He further elaborated, stating, “Once free speech is lost, every other freedom soon follows. We must continue Charlie’s mission to defend it.”
Trump pledged to pursue not only Kirk’s killer but also what he termed the “radical left” networks that he believes instigate political violence, promising an inquiry into billionaire investor George Soros regarding his alleged involvement in financing widespread “riots” across the US. Tech mogul Elon Musk, in a similar vein, condemned the radical left as a “party of murder.”
On Friday, US authorities verified the arrest of Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, on suspicion of Kirk’s murder. Both Trump and Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared that the suspect should receive the death penalty if found guilty.