Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Messaging App Telegram, no longer has to stay in France. One source told AFP that the investigating judge responsible for Durov’s case has accepted a request to change the conditions of his supervision.
“As you may have heard, I returned to Dubai after having spent a few months in France because of an investigation of criminals on Telegram,” Durov wrote on Monday in a message that was placed on his telegram channel. “The process is underway, but it feels great to be at home.”
Durov was arrested on August 24, 2024, after he had boarded the French airport of Le Bourget. He spent four days in the detention of the police – which led to a widespread coverage of his arrest.
Shortly thereafter, the Paris Criminal Court, which is in charge of the investigation, explained the reasons for his arrest. Most of the charges revolve around the founder of Telegram who is reportedly complicit in facilitating organized fraud, illegal transitions and sharing CSAM (sexual abuse of sexual abuse of children) on the message and the social platform.
At that time, Durov agreed to pay a bail of € 5 million ($ 5.5 million against current exchange rates) and to check in at a police station twice a week. He was also excluded from leaving France during the investigation. But those conditions seem to have been changed now – so that he can leave the country legally.
The court of Paris has not released a statement about the reasons for changes in Durov’s supervisory conditions.
A few days after his arrest, Telegram updated its website and app to explicitly allow users to admit private chats to its moderators. Before the arrest, the company had said it ‘[did] do not process requests with regard to [moderating chats and group chats]. “
After this radical change of naturally removed telegram millions of groups and channels.
In further comments about Durov’s channel that announced his arrival in Dubai, the CEO of Telegram wrote: “I want to thank the investigating judges for making it happen, as well as my lawyers and team for their ruthless efforts to show that when it comes to moderation, cooperation and fighting crime, not just the legal obligations.”
Durov is not yet out of the forest. Despite his cooperation, the investigation continues and it can still lead to a criminal trial in France. On the positive side, Durov does not have to submit at least 2025 taxes in France.
