French Justice Department Brings 12 Criminal Charges Against Telegram CEO Durov, Macron Says Leave It to the Judge
Brook.X
Over the weekend, Pavel Durov, the creator and CEO of the instant messaging platform Telegram, was arrested at an airport near Paris, France. Subsequently, the French Justice Department produced an arrest warrant that had been issued, accusing Pavel Durov of multiple criminal acts.
The investigation is led by the French Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (JUNALCO), which initiated the investigation on July 8, 2024, and arrested Durov upon his arrival in Paris on the evening of August 24.
An anonymous source involved in the case revealed that JUNALCO has brought several criminal charges against Durov:
- Conspiring to manage an online platform, facilitating illegal transactions for organized crime groups.
- Refusing to provide information and documents required for lawful interception and criminal investigations as requested by the competent authorities.
- Conspiring to disseminate and possess child pornography.
- Conspiring to enable organized groups to spread, sell, and provide child pornographic images.
- Conspiring to engage in the purchase, transportation, possession, provision, or sale of narcotics.
- Conspiring, without lawful justification, to provide, sell tools or programs for unauthorized damage to data processing systems (i.e., hacking tools).
- Conspiring to participate in organized group fraud.
- Conspiring to commit crimes or participate in illegal activities.
- Money laundering.
- Providing privacy encryption services without the need for certification.
- Providing an encryption tool that does not specifically offer identity verification or integrity control unless previously declared.
- Importing encryption tools that provide identity verification or integrity control without prior declaration.
It is notable that Durov possesses multiple passports, including those of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, with his Russian passport also being valid. Evidently, Durov did not anticipate being arrested upon landing in Paris, as there had been no prior indication of any trouble.
French President Macron stated on his X/Twitter: "The arrest of Durov within French territory is part of an ongoing judicial investigation. This is not a political decision, and the matter should be decided by the judge." France is firmly committed to freedom of speech and expression, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and we will continue to ensure this.
