Telegram CEO Released from Detention Before French Court Hearing
Telegram boss Pavel Durov was detained in France on Saturday and released on Wednesday after questioning regarding alleged platform misuse for illegal activities.
Pavel Durov, a 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire who co-founded the app with his brother Nikolai, was released from custody on Wednesday ahead of his French court appearance, following four days of questioning over allegations of illegal activities on the platform.
Durov was arrested at Paris–Le Bourget Airport after his private jet arrived from Azerbaijan on Saturday night, said the Paris prosecutor’s office.
An investigating judge has ended Pavel Durov’s police custody and will have him brought to court for a first appearance and a possible indictment, the prosecutor’s office added.
Telegram is an app that enables one-on-one conversations, group chats, and channels involving hundreds of people. Unlike Meta’s WhatsApp, which has a group chat limit of 1,024, Telegram’s group chats allow up to 200,000 people.
Judicial Investigation
Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor who authorized Durov’s arrest, published a statement in French on Aug. 26 listing the 12 charges that her judicial investigation had opened against an unnamed person.
Some of the charges include complicity in operating a platform for illegal transactions, refusal to provide information to authorities, involvement in child pornography, drug trafficking, and money laundering by an organized gang.
The judicial system in France operates differently from those in many other countries, with judges taking a more active role in investigating and prosecuting crimes.
Telegram states that it complies with all European Union laws and that its content moderation is within industry standards and continually improving.
On Aug. 26, Telegram released a statement affirming that Durov “has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
‘I Don’t See How Tech Founders Could Possibly Travel to France’
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized in an Aug. 26 post on social media platform X that France is deeply committed to freedom of expression, innovation, entrepreneurship, and will continue to be so.
“The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil occurred within the context of an ongoing judicial investigation. It should not be interpreted as a political decision but rather left to the judges to decide,” Macron stated.
The arrest has raised concerns among some tech companies.
Andy Yen, founder and CEO of Proton, known for its encrypted email service Proton Mail, expressed his thoughts on X that the charges against Durov are unreasonable. If upheld, it could restrict tech founders from traveling to France or hiring in the country, leading to economic consequences.
The Epoch Times reached out to French authorities for comments but received no response at the time of publication.
The Associated Press and Chris Summers contributed to this report.
