Telegram founder Pavel Durov was released from police custody in France on Wednesday and transferred to court for questioning, where he may face a possible indictment. This development follows his dramatic arrest at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday.
Durov, 39, was detained under a warrant related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation. He is being investigated on multiple charges, including allegations that the platform facilitated fraud, drug trafficking, and the spread of child pornography. Durov’s app has also come under fire for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Durov will now undergo “initial questioning and possible indictment” at a court in the French capital. His arrest and subsequent detention for up to 96 hours—the maximum allowed under French law before charges must be filed—have sparked debate over freedom of speech, particularly in Ukraine and Russia, where Telegram is a vital communication tool.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the decision to charge Durov was “in no way political,” addressing concerns that the case might be politically motivated.
Durov, who was born in the Soviet Union in 1984 and now resides in Dubai, is estimated to be worth $9.15 billion. Telegram, launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, has grown into one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms, with over 950 million users. The app’s encrypted messaging service has drawn praise for protecting user privacy, but it has also faced criticism for enabling criminal activities, including the coordination of the 2015 Paris terror attacks.
Credit: CNN (Text Excluding Headline)
