On Wednesday, French authorities charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, with multiple offences related to the messaging app and prohibited him from leaving the country. Despite being detained for four days, Durov, 39, was released after posting a €5 million ($5.5 million) bail but is required to report to a police station twice weekly and remain in France, according to a statement from Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, faces charges related to failing to prevent the dissemination of extremist and illegal content on Telegram. These include allegations of complicity in managing an online platform that facilitated illicit transactions, refusal to provide documents requested by authorities, and the distribution of child pornography within an organized group. Additional charges include drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and suspicion of serious violence toward one of his children, as reported by a source close to the case. The mother of the child, a former partner of Durov, filed a related complaint in Switzerland last year.
🇫🇷BREAKING!
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov banned from leaving France and must post €5 million bail. pic.twitter.com/JNyV0VmoP2
— Radar🚨 (@RadarHits) August 28, 2024
Durov was apprehended at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday night and subsequently questioned by investigators. The tech mogul, who founded Telegram a decade ago while distancing himself from his native Russia, has seen the platform’s user base grow to over 900 million. He holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the UAE, where Telegram is headquartered.
Telegram defended Durov over the weekend, calling the charges “absurd” and asserting that he should not be held responsible for inappropriate content on the platform. Durov, known for his enigmatic persona and a lifestyle marked by ascetic practices like ice baths and abstaining from alcohol, is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion.
The timing and circumstances of Durov’s detention have sparked questions among his supporters, who view him as a champion of free speech, and critics, who see him as a figure who allowed Telegram to spiral out of control. French newspaper Le Monde reported that Durov had met with French President Emmanuel Macron multiple times before being granted French citizenship in 2021 under a special procedure for those who have made significant contributions to the country.
The Wall Street Journal revealed that during a lunch meeting in 2018, Macron, who was once an avid user of Telegram, had suggested that the company be based in Paris, but Durov declined. A source confirmed that Durov and his elder brother Nikolai, who is regarded as the mathematical genius behind Telegram, have been wanted by French authorities since March.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, to address what he called “false information” about the case, Macron insisted that Durov’s arrest was “in no way a political decision,” stressing that the matter was for the judiciary to decide. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that the charges against Durov were very serious and required equally serious evidence.
Durov’s arrest has drawn support from figures like Elon Musk, CEO of X, who posted under the hashtag #FreePavel. Durov, who has been based in Dubai in recent years, was detained after arriving in Paris from Baku, Azerbaijan, intending to have dinner in the French capital.
Telegram, which presents itself as a “neutral” alternative to US-based platforms criticized for exploiting users’ personal data, has played a significant role since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, being actively used by both sides in the conflict. The Paris prosecutor noted that French judicial authorities were alerted to Telegram’s “near total absence of a response” to official requests, prompting an investigation that began in February 2024.
Via The Wall Street Journal
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