Telegram CEO arrested and charged with 12 crimes including 'spreading child abuse images' and 'drug trafficking'

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France and charged with 'spreading child abuse images,' 'drug trafficking,' and 'failing to comply with requests from law enforcement.'

Telegram CEO Durov placed under formal investigation and banned from leaving France
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240828-telegram-ceo-durov-to-appear-in-paris-court-after-initial-detention-ends

Telegram founder indicted in France: NPR
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/28/nx-s1-5091295/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-france-indicted

Pavel Durov is a Russian-born man and co-founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram. Durov was arrested by the Gendarmerie upon arriving in France on a private jet at approximately 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, August 24, 2024.

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov reportedly arrested in France - GIGAZINE

As the procedures after his arrest progressed, French authorities indicted Durov on a total of 12 charges, including 'spreading child abuse images,' 'drug trafficking,' and 'failure to comply with requests from law enforcement agencies,' on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. At the time of the indictment, Durov was under surveillance by the authorities and was not allowed to leave France. It was also revealed that the defendant was ordered to pay 5 million euros (approximately 800 million yen) as bail and to appear twice a week.

Durov's arrest and prosecution have also been controversial in Russia, with Russian government officials claiming that 'Durov's arrest is politically motivated and reflects the double standards of Western countries regarding freedom of speech.' Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement saying, 'The arrest of Telegram's CEO in France was made as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judge to decide,' emphasizing that Durov's arrest was made as part of an investigation, not a political decision.

President Macron issues statement saying Telegram CEO Durov's arrest is 'not a political decision' - GIGAZINE

According to the foreign media Financial Times, in an interview conducted in early 2024, Durov responded to the question, 'What do you think about the fact that laws targeting tech companies are being enacted around the world and concerns about the spread of harmful content on online platforms are growing?' by saying, 'I don't expect any major difficulties in the future.' The Financial Times argues that this optimism backfired and led to his arrest.

Pavel Durov's brother and co-founder of Telegram, Nikolai Durov, is also under investigation and an arrest warrant was issued for him by French authorities in March 2024.

In addition, the 'spread of harmful content on online platforms' also occurs on platforms such as YouTube and X, but experts are of the opinion that Durov's arrest is an exceptional case and that executives of other major platforms do not need to fear arrest.

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested, had his iPhone hacked in a joint French-UAE operation in 2017 - GIGAZINE

By TechCrunch