Pavel Durov, Founder of Telegram, Extends Gratitude to French Judges Upon Returning to Dubai

March 17, 2025 TruthUSA

Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov has expressed his joy at being back in Dubai after French judges investigating the app lifted a travel ban that had been imposed last year.

Reports indicate that Durov was allowed to leave France over the weekend after being arrested in Paris in August 2024.

Upon returning to Dubai, Durov shared on his Telegram channel: “As you may have heard, I’ve returned to Dubai after spending several months in France due to an investigation related to the activity of criminals on Telegram.

“The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home.

“I want to thank the investigative judges for letting this happen, as well as my lawyers and team for their relentless efforts in demonstrating that, when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.”

Durov, a Russian-born billionaire who co-founded Telegram with his brother, was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris after his private jet arrived from Azerbaijan.

The Paris prosecutor’s office accused Durov of complicity in drug trafficking, sharing child abuse images on Telegram, and failing to cooperate with authorities investigating criminal activity on the app on Aug. 28, 2024.

Following his release from custody and the imposition of a travel ban requiring him to post bail of 5 million euros ($5.4 million), Durov has maintained his innocence.

With around 1 billion users, Telegram has significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet Union countries.

Durov’s arrest ignited discussions on the balance between free speech and law enforcement in online platforms, further straining relations between Paris and Moscow given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Following the events, Rumble owner Chris Pavlovski warned on X that free speech in Europe was under threat.

Elon Musk, owner of X, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that “Moderation is a propaganda word for censorship.”

Established in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, an encryption expert, Telegram has become a prominent social media platform globally.

Telegram ‘Played the Game’

On March 17, Maud Marian, a defense lawyer based in Paris, explained that the lifting of the travel ban was a common occurrence at this stage of the investigation.

Marian stated: “It means the charges are not as serious as the judge initially thought.”

She noted that Telegram had actively engaged with the investigation process, indicating that Durov had cooperated with authorities to some extent.

She acknowledged that Telegram had indeed “played the game.”

Prior to his arrest, Telegram had been expanding its presence in Western Europe and North America, ranking among the world’s largest social media platforms.

Despited its wide user base, extremists and criminals had also utilized Telegram.

However, in a statement on his Telegram account on Sept. 5, Durov clarified: “The claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue. We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day.

“We have urgent hotlines with NGOs to process urgent moderation requests faster.”

In August 2024, Telegram, headquartered in Dubai, emphasized that its moderation practices were in line with industry standards and continuously improving.

The company highlighted that “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”

Reacting to the situation, Durov’s lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski dismissed allegations connecting the CEO to criminal activities, emphasizing the absurdity of such claims.

Concluding his statement on Telegram on March 17, Durov expressed gratitude for the global support he received during his unexpected journey, emphasizing the strength of the platform’s community.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Paris prosecutor’s office for further details, and Reuters contributed to this report.

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