Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been released from custody and will appear in court, French prosecutors said

French prosecutors on Wednesday released Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov from police custody after four days of investigation into allegations that the messaging service was being used for illegal activities.

Durov was arrested on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a judicial investigation opened last month involving 12 alleged criminal violations.

“The investigating judge has terminated Pavel Durov’s police custody and will bring him to court for his first appearance and charges,” said a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Allegations against the Russian-born Durov, who is a French citizen, include that his platform is used for child sexual abuse and drug trafficking, fraud and organized crime, and that Telegram refuses to share information or documents with investigators when required. by law.

Durov’s arrest in France has sparked outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it political and evidence that Western countries are fighting for freedom of speech. The appeal raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities tried to block the Telegram app but failed, lifting the ban in 2020.

In Iran, where Telegram is widely used despite being officially banned after years of protests against the country’s Shiite government, Durov’s arrest in France prompted comments from the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weighed in with veiled praise for France as “tough” on those who “break your rule” of the Internet.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Durov’s arrest was not a political act but part of an independent investigation. Macron sent to X that his country is “deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedom is preserved within the legal framework, in social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”

In a statement posted on the platform after Durov’s arrest, Telegram said it complies with EU regulations, and its rating is “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”

“It makes no sense to say that the platform or its owner is responsible for abusing that platform,” Telegram said. “Approximately one billion users worldwide use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of important information. We are waiting for a quick decision on this situation. Telegram is all about you.”

Besides Russia and France, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday it was “closely following the case” and asked France to provide Durov with “all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Durov “has all the necessary opportunities to defend himself legally” and added that Moscow is “ready to provide all necessary assistance and support” to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizen.

“But the situation is strange that he is also a French citizen,” said Peskov.

The Telegraph, which claims to have nearly a billion users worldwide, was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself faced pressure from the Russian authorities.

In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, the popular Russian social networking site he founded in 2006.

The company came under pressure during the Russian government crackdown following the massive pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow in late 2011 and 2012.

Durov said authorities wanted the site to take down online communities of Russian opposition activists, and later to hand over personal information of users who took part in Ukraine’s popular uprising in 2013-2014, which eventually ousted a pro-Kremlin president.

Durov said in a recent interview that he refused these demands and left the country.

The protests prompted Russian authorities to crack down on the digital space, and Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric provide an easy way for Russians to communicate and share news.

The Telegraph also continues to be a popular source of news in Ukraine, where both media outlets and officials use it to share information about the war, and deliver warnings of missile and air strikes.

Western governments often criticize Telegram for a lack of content moderation, which experts say opens up the messaging app to possible uses for money laundering, drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to child sexual exploitation.

In 2022, Germany issued a fine of 5 million dollars against the operators of Telegram for failing to establish a legal mechanism to report illegal content or to name a business in Germany to receive legal communications. Both are required under German laws governing large online platforms.