Telegram Founder Pavel Durov charged on 12 criminal counts in France

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on August 24 and now faces 12 serious charges, including complicity in facilitating illegal online transactions and involvement in child pornography distribution. Durov’s arrest follows a judicial investigation that began on July 8, initiated by Section 13-JUNALCO (Fight against Cybercrime) of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges against Durov cover a wide range of alleged criminal activities, including:

1. Complicity in facilitating illegal transactions within an organized group through online platforms.
2. Refusal to provide information or documents necessary for legal interceptions, as requested by authorities.
3. Complicity in storing and distributing pornographic images of minors.
4. Complicity in drug-related offenses, including the sale and possession of narcotics.
5. Complicity in providing tools for illegal access to automated data processing systems.
6. Complicity in organized fraud.
7. Criminal conspiracy to commit serious offenses.
8. Money laundering derived from organized crime activities.
9. Providing unauthorized cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality.
10. Use of cryptology tools without prior declaration for authentication and integrity monitoring.
11. Importing cryptology tools without prior declaration.

Durov is currently in police custody, which has been extended until August 25. Under the procedural framework for organized crime offenses, his detention could last up to 96 hours, until August 28, according to Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

Telegram’s Legal Challenges in India

In parallel with his legal troubles in France, Telegram is also under scrutiny in India, where the government is investigating the platform for alleged misuse in criminal activities, including extortion and gambling. Depending on the investigation’s outcome, the Indian government may consider banning the app.