Pavel Dourov, the founder of the encrypted messaging service Telegram, is facing serious charges from the French justice system. After four days in police custody, he is now banned from leaving French territory.
The tech world is rocked by a major court case involving one of its most high-profile entrepreneurs. Pavel Dourov, the charismatic boss of Telegram, finds himself in the crosshairs of the French justice system for alleged acts linked to the use of his platform for criminal purposes.
Multiple charges
On Wednesday August 28, the Paris public prosecutor’s office announced that Pavel Dourov had been placed under investigation. The 39-year-old Franco-Russian entrepreneur is charged with :
- Complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable an illicit transaction, as part of an organized gang
- laundering crimes or misdemeanors as part of an organized group
- Refusal to communicate information required for legal interception.
The examining magistrate also ordered that he be placed under judicial supervision, subject to strict conditions:
- payment of bail of 5 million euros
- Obligation to report to the police station twice a week
- Ban on leaving French territory
A controversial arrest
Pavel Dourov was arrested on Saturday evening at Le Bourget airport, near Paris. This judicial action is part of an investigation opened on July 8, concerning 12 offenses related to organized crime.
The French justice system accuses Telegram of not taking sufficient action against the dissemination of illegal content on its platform, which has over 900 million users. Dourov’s lawyer, Me David-Olivier Kaminski, strongly disputed these accusations, calling them “absurd”.
International protests
The arrest of the CEO of Telegram, usually based in Dubai, has sparked strong reactions around the world. Personalities such as Edward Snowden and Elon Musk expressed their support for Dourov. In Russia, elected representatives even staged a symbolic protest in front of the French embassy in Moscow.
In response to the controversy, President Emmanuel Macron insisted that the arrest was the result of a “judicial investigation” and not a “political decision”, reaffirming France’s commitment to freedom of expression.
The Dourov affair highlights the challenges facing encrypted communication platforms, caught between the privacy requirements of their users and the security imperatives of the authorities. The future of Telegram and its founder is now in the hands of the French justice system.
Telegram founder arrested in France: dictatorship on the march