A French court has ruled that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov permitted ‘child pornography and drug trafficking’ on the messaging app
On Thursday, August 29, France charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with multiple violations related to the messaging app, including permitting child pornography and drug trafficking, and imposed a travel ban on him. Despite this, Durov was released after four days of questioning.
The investigation centers on alleged complicity in various crimes, such as operating an online platform that enabled “organized dissemination of child pornography,” drug trafficking, and fraud, according to French prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Telegram is also accused of not cooperating with authorities, engaging in money laundering, and providing cryptographic services to criminals, the statement added.
Durov was detained on Saturday, August 24, at Le Bourget airport near Paris as part of the probe into “organized crime.” He was released on a bail of 5 million euros (₹46,71,01,043) with the condition that he remains in France and reports to a police station twice a week. Preliminary charges related to the investigation have also been filed.
The initial preliminary charge against Pavel Durov is for “complicity in managing an online platform that facilitated illicit transactions by an organized group.”
According to news agency AP, preliminary charges under French law indicate that magistrates have substantial evidence suggesting a crime has occurred. However, they allow additional time for investigation before proceeding to sentencing.
Telegram has dismissed the allegations as “absurd,” asserting that Pavel Durov has “nothing to hide.”
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov travels frequently in Europe and has nothing to conceal. It is absurd to suggest that the platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of the platform,” the messaging app stated in a post on X.
Additionally, Pavel Durov is under investigation for “serious acts of violence” towards one of his children during a visit to Paris with his ex-partner, the child’s mother, according to a source. She also filed a separate complaint against Durov in Switzerland last year.
