PARIS (AP) — French authorities have filed preliminary charges against Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app and banned him from leaving France pending further investigation.
Free speech advocates and authoritarian governments have come to Durov’s defense since his arrest over the weekend. The case has also drawn attention to the challenges of policing illegal online activity and to the Russian-born Durov’s own interests. atypical biography and multiple passports.
Durov was arrested on Saturday at Le Bourget airport, near Paris, as part of a sweep operation. investigation opened earlier this yearand was released on Wednesday after four days of questioning. Investigating judges filed an indictment on Wednesday evening and ordered him to pay bail of five million euros and report twice a week to a police station, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The charges against Durov, who is also a French citizen, include that his platform was used to distribute child pornography and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
The first preliminary charge against him concerns “complicity in the management of an online platform enabling illicit transactions by an organized group,” an offense punishable by sentences of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros, the prosecution said.
Under French law, preliminary charges mean that magistrates have good reason to believe a crime has been committed, but allow more time for further investigation.
According to David-Olivier Kaminski, Durov’s lawyer, quoted by French media, “it is totally absurd to think that the head of a social network could be involved in criminal acts that do not concern him, directly or indirectly.”
Prosecutors said Durov is “at this point, the only person involved in this case.” They did not rule out the possibility that others could be targeted by an investigation, but declined to comment on other possible arrest warrants. Any other arrest warrants will be revealed only if the person targeted by such a warrant is arrested and informed of his or her rights, prosecutors said in a statement to the AP.
French authorities opened a preliminary investigation in February in response to Telegram’s “near total lack of response to judicial requests” for data to prosecute suspects, including those accused of crimes against children, prosecutors said.
Durov’s arrest in France sparked outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it politically motivated and evidence of the West’s double standards on freedom of speech. The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities themselves tried to block the Telegram app but failed, lifting the ban in 2020.
In Iran, where Telegram is widely used despite being officially banned after years of protests against the country’s Shiite theocracy, Durov’s arrest in France prompted comments from the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised France for its “rigor” toward those who “violate governance” of the internet.
French President Emmanuel Macron French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Mr Durov’s arrest was not a political decision but part of an independent investigation. Macron told X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but that “freedoms are respected within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”
In a statement posted on its platform after Durov’s arrest, Telegram said it complies with EU laws and that its moderation is “in line with industry standards and constantly improving.”
“Nearly a billion users worldwide rely on Telegram as a means of communication and a source of vital information. We expect a quick resolution of this situation,” he said.
In addition to Russia and France, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The UAE foreign ministry said on Tuesday it was “closely following the case” and had asked France to provide Mr Durov with “all necessary consular services on an urgent basis”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Durov would “be given all necessary opportunities for his legal defense” and added that Moscow was “ready to provide all necessary assistance and support” to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizen.
“But the situation is complicated by the fact that he is also a French citizen,” Peskov said.
Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself faced pressure from Russian authorities.
In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site he launched in 2006.
The company came under pressure during the Russian government’s crackdown on mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow in late 2011 and 2012.
Durov said authorities demanded that the site remove online communities of Russian opposition activists and then hand over personal data of users who took part in the 2013-2014 popular uprising in Ukraine that ultimately toppled a pro-Kremlin president.
Durov said in a recent interview that he had rejected these demands and left the country.
The protests prompted Russian authorities to repress digital spaceand Telegram and its pro-privacy stance have provided a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share news.
Telegram also continues to be a popular source of information in Ukraine, where media outlets and officials use it to share information about the war and broadcast warnings of missiles and air raids.
Western governments have often criticized Telegram for its lack of content moderation.
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Barbara Surk reported from Nice, France.
