Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Under Formal Investigation in France; Bail Set at $5.56 Million
Telegram founder Pavel Durov is now under formal investigation in France and is barred from leaving the country, as announced by a French prosecutor in a statement released Wednesday night.
The Russian-born billionaire faces scrutiny for several alleged offenses linked to criminal activities on the platform. These include complicity in illegal gang transactions, money laundering for organized crime, and failing to provide information to authorities.
Durov is subject to judicial supervision, with bail set at $5.56 million (5 million euros). He is also required to check in with the French police station twice a week.
Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Released from Custody; Formal Investigation Launched in France
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was released from police custody in France earlier today and transferred to court for questioning, following his dramatic arrest at a Paris airport earlier this week.
The formal investigation announced on Wednesday evening does not imply guilt but suggests that prosecutors believe there is sufficient basis for a thorough examination of the case. Durov has not been formally charged at this stage.
The prosecutor’s office also revealed that the French National Office for Minors reported a “near absence of response” from Telegram regarding court requests related to offenses such as trafficking, online hate speech, and crimes involving pedophilia.
The investigation includes suspected involvement in ‘complicity in the administration of a platform facilitating illegal transactions within an organized gang,’ a charge that could result in a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Pavel Durov, 39, was detained at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday under a warrant related to Telegram’s moderation practices. He faces investigation for charges involving alleged complicity in crimes facilitated through the platform, including fraud, drug trafficking, and the distribution of child pornography.
The scrutiny extends to Telegram’s role in enabling content for terrorist groups and far-right extremists due to its limited content moderation.
Durov was held in custody for up to 96 hours, the maximum period allowed under French law before formal charges must be filed.
His arrest has sparked a debate on freedom of speech, drawing significant concern in both Ukraine and Russia. The app is highly popular in both countries and serves as a critical communication tool amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia has condemned Durov’s detention, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova criticizing France for allegedly violating international norms on free speech. She claimed that the French actions reveal a disregard for these principles.
In response to fears about Telegram’s future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has attempted to reassure Russian users, advising them not to delete sensitive messages from the app amid the ongoing controversy.
‘Absolutely No Political Motives’
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that the decision to charge Pavel Durov was ‘in no way political,’ marking a rare direct intervention by a French leader in a judicial matter.
Telegram, founded by Durov and his brother Nikolai in 2013, now boasts over 950 million users, according to a recent update from Durov. The app’s encryption means that law enforcement and Telegram itself have limited visibility into user content.
Durov, born in the Soviet Union in 1984, gained prominence as the ‘Mark Zuckerberg of Russia’ and left the country in 2014. He now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, and holds French citizenship. His net worth is estimated at $9.15 billion, according to Bloomberg, and he has led a high-profile, globetrotting lifestyle.
While Telegram is praised by free speech advocates for enabling secure communication in restrictive regimes, critics argue that it has also become a refuge for illicit activities, including those by the terrorists behind the 2015 Paris attacks.
As Durov noted to CNN in 2016, ‘You cannot make it safe against criminals and open for governments. It’s either secure or not secure.’
