The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced a dozen potential charges against Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram.
These charges range from complicity in drug trafficking and money laundering to facilitating the distribution of child pornography.
Durov, a 39-year-old Russian national who also holds citizenship in France, the UAE, and St. Kitts and Nevis, was detained by French authorities on Saturday upon arriving in Paris from Azerbaijan by private jet.
In a press release on Monday, prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that Durov’s arrest is part of a broader criminal inquiry targeting an unnamed individual. This inquiry includes 12 possible charges against Durov, such as facilitating drug distribution, money laundering, organized crime, and aiding in the spread of child pornography.
Durov is also under investigation for his refusal to cooperate with investigations into cybercrime and financial crime, Beccuau added.
Criminal investigations in France are conducted by specialized magistrates, and charges like those against Durov are typically announced before the evidence-gathering process is completed. These investigations can last for years, and charges may be dropped at any time if insufficient evidence is found.
The investigation, which began last month, is being carried out by France’s anti-cybercrime and anti-fraud offices, according to the press release.
In a statement on Sunday, Telegram described the allegations as “absurd,” asserting that a platform or its owner cannot be held responsible for abuses that occur on it. Telegram complies with local laws, including the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and anti-Russian sanctions.
With nearly a billion monthly users, Telegram typically refuses to provide user data or chat records to law enforcement. Durov has suggested that his emphasis on user privacy has made him a target for intelligence agencies worldwide. In an interview in April, he claimed that the FBI attempted to recruit one of his employees to create a backdoor in the app to surveil Telegram users.
Anti-censorship activists have characterized Durov’s arrest as part of a broader campaign against free speech by Western governments. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden accused France of taking Durov “hostage” to access private communications on Telegram. Notable figures like X Owner Elon Musk, American journalist Tucker Carlson, and Silicon Valley investor David Sacks have condemned Durov’s arrest as an attack on free speech.
In a social media post on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Durov’s arrest “is in no way a political decision” and is part of “an ongoing judicial investigation.”
“France is fundamentally committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of enterprise,” Macron stated.
