The French Court put this Wednesday under formal investigation into the head of Telegram, Pavel Durov, within the framework of an investigation on organized crime in the messaging app, but He can avoid pre-trial detention if he pays bail of 5 million eurosand I would have to report to the police twice a week and not leave French territory.
The judge’s decision comes four days after Durov, of Russian origin, was arrested at an airport near Paris.
The opening of an investigation formal in France does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to trialbut rather indicates that the judges consider that There are enough elements in the case to move forward with the investigation.which can last for years before being sent to trial or archived.
Other crimes include refusing to cooperate with authorities in interceptions authorized by law and money laundering by an organized gang.
The magistrates are also investigating him for “complicity” in the distribution of images of child pornography, drug trafficking, organized crime fraud and association of criminals to commit crimesamong others.
The company already assured after the arrest that it “complies with the laws of the European Union” and that “it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuses.”
Russian government and Elon Musk support Durov
The Moscow government declared on Tuesday that the charges against Pavel Durov are “very serious” and warned France not to try to “intimidate” the businessman, despite French President Emmanuel Macron denying that his arrest was “political.”
Durov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at 15.5 billion dollarsreceived the support from the head of the social network X, Elon Musk, and the American whistleblower resident in Russia Edward Snowden.
According to Telegram, the founder is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, where the company is based. This country has asked France for consular access to Durov.
The businessman with an enigmatic personality, who rarely speaks in public, He left Russia 10 years ago, and proudly promotes his lifestyle, which includes ice baths and abstinence from alcohol and coffee.
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Durov’s arrest put the criminal liability of messaging app providers in the spotlight and has fueled debate over where free speech ends and law enforcement begins.
Durov’s arrest also highlighted the uneasy relationship between governments and Telegram, which has nearly a billion users.