Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, has been released from custody after being charged by French authorities and placed under judicial supervision following a court appearance.
According to an Aug. 28 Bloomberg report, French prosecutors said they had charged Durov with criminal offenses related to his role at Telegram. He was barred from leaving France and required to post bail of 5 million euros ($5.5 million) before being released from custody.
A widely-shared video from Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti shows Durov walking free from a Paris courthouse on Aug. 28.
Police delivered Durov to court after being detained at an airport north of Paris on Aug. 24. Authorities initially extended the Telegram CEO’s custody to Aug. 28, when he was expected to either be released or face charges in court.
After his arrest, prosecutors said the Telegram founder had been taken into custody as part of a judicial investigation from July “against person unnamed.” The charges included complicity with illegal activities, refusal to communicate to authorities, money laundering, criminal association and providing cryptology services without prior declaration.
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French prosecutors alleged Durov was complicit in helping spread child pornography and facilitating illicit activities through Telegram. He also reportedly faces child abuse allegations in Switzerland that are unrelated to the French case.
Free speech allegations
Many of Durov’s defenders have criticized French authorities for taking the Telegram CEO into custody, claiming the move represented an attack on freedom of expression.
As of 2024, Telegram had more than 900 million monthly active users. Having Durov answer in court for messaging app users conducting illegal activities or sharing illicit content may set a precedent for other heads of social media firms like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk.
French President Emmanuel Macron denied Durov’s arrest was politically motivated, but many questions still seem to linger after four days.
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