France formally charges Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, over organized crime on messaging app
After spending four days in police custody, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov
After spending four days in police custody, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was put under formal investigation in France on Thursday for a wide range of criminal charges.
He was also released from custody on the condition that he does not leave French territory during the investigation. Bail was set at €5 million (around $5.6 million) and he must check in at a police station twice a week.
On Tuesday, the court in charge of the investigation — the Paris criminal court — shared a list of charges that led to Durov’s arrest on August 24 after he stepped off his private jet at France’s Le Bourget Airport.
The main charges are accusations of running a company that has been complicit in storing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), facilitating drug trafficking and facilitating organized fraud and other illegal transactions. He’s also facing charges concerning registration of Telegram’s cryptographic features, among other criminal complaints.
In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed all the charges and said the investigation is moving forward. The fact of Durov being placed under formal investigation means he is formally suspected of what he’s been accused of.
In the French judicial system being placed under formal investigation is a necessary procedural step in order to take a case to trial. However it does not mean a trial is certain. If authorities decide they don’t have a strong enough case the investigation could be shelved before it gets to court. But the step means there’s a substantial reason to pursue a probe.
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