Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, now not has to remain in France. A supply informed AFP that the investigating choose in command of Durov’s case has accepted a request to change the situations of his supervision.
“As you’ll have heard, I’ve returned to Dubai after spending a number of months in France attributable to an investigation associated to the exercise of criminals on Telegram,” Durov wrote on Monday in a message posted to his Telegram channel. “The method is ongoing, however it feels nice to be residence.”
Durov was arrested on August 24, 2024, after he stepped off a non-public jet at France’s Le Bourget Airport. He spent 4 days in police custody — resulting in widespread protection of his arrest.
Shortly afterwards, the Paris prison court docket, which is in command of the investigation, defined the explanations for his arrest. A lot of the fees revolve across the Telegram founder allegedly being complicit in facilitating organized fraud, unlawful transitions, and the sharing of CSAM (little one sexual abuse materials) on the messaging and social platform.
On the time, Durov agreed to pay a €5 million bail ($5.5 million at present change charges) and to test in at a police station twice per week. He was additionally barred from leaving France throughout the investigation. However these situations seem to have been modified now — enabling him to go away the nation legally.
The Paris court docket didn’t launch an announcement relating to the explanations for adjustments to Durov’s supervision situations.
Just a few days after his arrest, Telegram up to date its web site and app to explicitly enable customers to report non-public chats to its moderators. Earlier than the arrest, the corporate had mentioned that it “[did] not course of any requests associated to [moderating chats and group chats].”
Following this radical change after all, Telegram eliminated thousands and thousands of teams and channels.
In additional remarks on Durov’s channel asserting his arrival in Dubai, the Telegram CEO wrote: “I wish to thank the investigative judges for letting this occur, in addition to my attorneys and staff for his or her relentless efforts in demonstrating that, in relation to moderation, cooperation, and preventing crime, for years Telegram not solely met however exceeded its authorized obligations.”
Durov isn’t out of the woods simply but. Regardless of his cooperation, the investigation stays ongoing and it may nonetheless result in a prison trial in France. On the plus facet, not less than Durov gained’t must file his 2025 taxes in France.
