Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, will not be able to leave France in the near future, and his case will not be brought to court for at least a year. This was reported by Wired magazine, citing the French prosecutor’s office.
The investigation that led to Durov’s arrest began last winter. It started with a secret operation to track down a Telegram user suspected of coercing minors into sending explicit materials. The suspect had also allegedly confessed on the platform to raping a young girl. According to documents reviewed by Wired, when investigators requested Telegram to disclose the suspect’s identity, the company refused.
Prosecutor’s office representative De Roek confirmed that law enforcement authorities had indeed reached out to Telegram, but the company ignored their requests. In March 2024, arrest warrants were issued for Durov and his brother Nikolai, a key Telegram executive. By July, the investigation had expanded to cover multiple offenses, and the case was transferred to the French cybercrime unit J3.
After being released on bail, Durov posted a message on Telegram, calling the accusations against him misguided. He emphasized that Telegram has an official representative in the EU responsible for handling law enforcement requests.
Nevertheless, the case against Durov in France is now expected to be delayed for at least a year. According to De Roek, it is too early to discuss a potential settlement.
