Pavel Durov: Telegram boss set $5.5m bail and must stay in France

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was formally placed under investigation on Wednesday (Aug, 28) by a French judge, following his arrest in connection with alleged links between organized crime and the messaging app.

The 39-year-old businessman was seized by law enforcement when he landed in Paris on Saturday. Since then his detention has become a hot topic around the world and sparked debate over the liability of tech companies and the limits of free speech in different countries.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the investigating judge found grounds to formally investigate Durov on all the charges for which he was initially arrested, reports Reuters.

The Russian-born Telegram boss faces charges in France for running an app with alleged complicity in illegal activities on its platform, including child abuse, drug trafficking, and fraud.

French authorities claim the company did not cooperate with previous criminal investigations, leading to a probe in February 2024.

Regarding Telegram’s alleged lack of compliance, Beccuau said: “Other French investigation services and public prosecutors’ offices as well as various partners within Eurojust, in particular Belgian ones, shared the same observation.”

Durov’s lawyer denies all wrongdoing and has previously asserted that Telegram complies with European regulations.

The formal investigation doesn’t imply guilt but allows the case to proceed. Durov was granted bail with a €5 million ($5.5 million) deposit and must report to police twice weekly. He is also unable to leave France.

Such is the global attention Durov’s case has garnered, France’s President Emmanuel Macron felt compelled to release a statement on the X platform addressing the topic.

I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.

France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.

In a state governed by the rule of law,…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 26, 2024

President Macron said: “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”

The President’s statement comes after an angry response from Russia, claiming the move was politically motivated and was an erosion of free speech. The situation is complicated for the Kremlin since Durov is also a French citizen (as well as a UAE passport holder).

Russia’s robust defense of Durov comes six years after the country first attempted to ban Telegram after continued refusal to hand over encryption codes. The messaging app was blocked until 2020 before the decision was reversed.

Featured image: Steve Jennings/Getty Images/Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

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