Among Durov’s transgressions are his involvement in money laundering, child pornography, and trafficking.
On Wednesday, the troubled Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was given bail with the requirement to pay €5 million ($5.56 million). In addition, he is placed under court supervision and is required to sign with the police twice a week.
The billionaire tech mogul, who was born in Russia, was arrested on Saturday at a French airport and subsequently charged with twelve counts of possible complicity.
Per a statement from Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, “Pavel Durov was indicted and placed under judicial supervision.” Further, he is also banned from travelling outside France until further notice.
Pavel Durov été mis en examen et placé sous contrôle judiciaire avec notamment l'obligation de remettre un cautionnement de 5 millions d'euros, l'obligation de pointer au commissariat deux fois par semaine, et l'interdiction de quitter le territoire français. #telegram pic.twitter.com/ff6ZGYsHLW
— Éric Bothorel (@ebothorel) August 28, 2024
Among the serious offenses listed in the indictment were money laundering, human trafficking, and complicity in child pornography. In addition, he is accused of not registering cryptography services and of not responding to valid requests.
The translated test stated, “The cybercrime section of JUNALCO” of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office was notified of Telegram’s nearly complete disregard for judicial requests.
It further stated that as a result, the JUNALCO launched an investigation into the Telegram managers’ potential criminal liability.
Following his apprehension, Durov was detained for a maximum of ninety-six hours, which is the length of time that a criminal may be detained in France.
JUST IN: 🇫🇷 Pavel Durov officially released from custody and is out on €5,000,000 bail. pic.twitter.com/HMnfbMQ9Sc
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) August 28, 2024
The Arrest of the Telegram CEO Upends Other Governments in Paris, Moscow, and Abu Dhabi
Pavel Durov’s arrest have stirred a public outcry in Paris, Moscow and Abu Dhabi governments. For instance, though Durov distances himself from Moscow, Telegram has become a key platform used by the Russian military for battlefield communications.
A Russian military blogger channel noted that they “practically detained the head of communication of the Russian army.” As a result, alarmed Russian policy makers are alco calling for Durov’s release.
The United Arab Emirates further stated that it had asked the French government for permission to enter Durov for consular purposes. The person who founded Telegram is an Emirati citizen.
The UAE has asked the Government of the French Republic to provide Pavel Durov with all necessary consular services immediately. The UAE is closely monitoring the case of its citizen, the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, who was detained by the French authorities at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, the Foreign Ministry of Abu Dhabi wrote on Monday.
In addition, his arrest sparked a heated discussion about tech regulations and online free speech.