Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Charged and Restricted from Leaving France

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has been charged in France with multiple violations related to the messaging app and is prohibited from leaving the country. French authorities accused Durov of failing to prevent extremist and illegal content on Telegram, which led to his arrest at Le Bourget airport near Paris. After four days in custody, Durov, 39, was released on bail of five million euros but must stay in France and report to the police twice weekly.The charges against Durov include enabling illicit transactions through an online platform, refusing to provide documents requested by authorities, and involvement in the dissemination of child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering. Durov’s lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, called these accusations “absurd,” insisting that Telegram adheres to European digital regulations.Additionally, Durov is under investigation for allegedly committing serious acts of violence against one of his children while in Paris, a claim linked to a complaint filed by his ex-partner in Switzerland last year.Durov, who founded Telegram after leaving Russia about a decade ago, now holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is headquartered. The app has grown significantly, boasting over 900 million users worldwide. Despite the charges, Durov’s lawyer emphasized that the accusations are not politically motivated.