Pavel DurovThe Russian-French billionaire founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegramwas arrested Friday evening at Le Bourget airport, in the suburbs of Paris. More than 48 hours later, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Durov He is being investigated on twelve charges. for failing to take measures to prevent the use of Telegram for criminal purposes, including aiding and abetting the possession of child pornography or drug trafficking.
The prosecutor explains that the founder of the messaging application was arrested last Saturday as part of a judicial inquiry opened on July 8, 2024, after a preliminary investigation initiated by section 13-JUNALCO (Fight against cybercrime) of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The text lists the charges against Durovamong them complicity in possession of child pornography, drug trafficking or organized fraud. In addition, there are fees for criminal association with a view to committing a crime punishable by 5 years or more in prison and laundering of profits from organized crime.
Finally, he is accused of having refused to communicate to the authorities “information or documents” necessary to carry out acts authorized by law.”
The controversy surrounding the arrest of the founder of Telegram in France has forced the Emmanuel Macron to clarify the reasons for his arrest this Monday. “It is not a political decision at all, “took place within the framework of an ongoing judicial investigation,” explained the French president this Monday in a message on his X profile.
“It’s up to the judges to decide”Macron added in a message in which he stressed that it is the judicial system that must enforce the law “in complete independence.”
Dúrov, 39, was arrested on Friday evening upon his arrival at the private airport of Le Bourget, near Paris, and His arrest was extended until Sunday evening by a judge.
Macron denounced it “False information” has been circulating around this arrest and stressed that France is committed to the freedom of expression and communicationinnovation and entrepreneurship, and it “will continue to be so.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, both on social networks and in real life, freedoms are exercised within a framework set by law to protect citizens and respect their rights,” insisted the French president.
On the other hand, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ office for combating violence against minors (OFMIN) stressed on Monday that Dúrov’s arrest is based on the lack of action by the platform, particularly in the fight against pedophilia.
“At the heart of this affair is the lack of moderation and cooperation from the platform (which has nearly a billion users), particularly in the fight against delinquency against children,” OFMIN Secretary General Jean Michel Bernigaud said in a message on LinkedIn.
The OFMIN is at the origin of the French arrest warrant based on a preliminary investigation.
Telegram, an encrypted messaging network, assured that Dúrov “has nothing to hide” and that it respects “the laws of the European Union”.
“Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act: its moderation is in line with industry standards and is constantly improving,” the network added in a statement.
Durov, a Russian-born billionaire who holds United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizenship, in addition to Russian and French, resides in Dubai.
