Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Indicted in Paris, Released on €5 Million Bail
Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has been indicted by a Paris court on charges related to organized crime but has been granted bail under the condition that he posts a €5 million bond and remains in France.
According to Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, investigating judges decided to indict Durov on several serious charges, including complicity in managing an online platform that facilitates illegal transactions, disseminating child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, refusing to share information with authorities, money laundering, and providing encryption services to criminals. However, the indictment does not imply that Durov has been found guilty. It merely indicates that there is sufficient evidence to continue the investigation, which could take years before a final verdict is reached.
Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on the evening of August 24 after arriving from Azerbaijan by private jet. He was released after posting the €5 million bond but must comply with a ban on leaving France and is required to report to a police station twice a week.
The arrest of Durov has sparked controversy, particularly concerning freedom of speech, and has raised concerns in both Ukraine and Russia, where Telegram is highly popular. Some Russian military bloggers view this as part of the West’s campaign against Moscow, given that Telegram is a crucial communication tool for Russian soldiers in Ukraine. They fear that if the West obtains the “keys” to decrypt Telegram messages, sensitive military information could be exposed.
French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed any political motives behind the case, emphasizing that the decision to arrest Durov is “absolutely unrelated to politics.” However, he provided no further details on the legal reasoning behind the decision.
Born in Saint Petersburg, Durov founded Telegram in 2013 and has been likened to the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia.” He left Russia in 2014 and currently resides in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Durov’s net worth is estimated at around $15.5 billion, and Telegram, the app he founded, now boasts over 950 million users worldwide. Telegram is renowned for its end-to-end encryption, which protects users’ privacy, but this feature has also made it attractive to criminal organizations and extremist groups. Durov has previously stated that Telegram will remain a neutral platform, not engaging in geopolitical issues, despite pressure from various governments.
