Telegram Chief Pavel Durov Charged by French Judiciary, Released on Bail

Pavel Durov, the chief of the popular messaging app Telegram, has been charged by the French judiciary with multiple violations related to the operation of the app, though he was granted conditional release after a lengthy hearing on Wednesday.

Durov, who faced an hours-long session with two investigating magistrates, was released on a bail of five million euros but was subjected to strict conditions. According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, Durov is required to report to a police station twice a week and is prohibited from leaving France as part of his conditional release.

The charges against Durov involve serious allegations, including “complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable an illicit transaction” and participation in an organized group. He has also been accused of refusing to comply with requests for documents by authorities and has been charged with offenses related to the “dissemination in an organised group of images of minors in child pornography,” drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering.

These charges follow an investigation that began in February 2024, which was prompted by what authorities described as a “near total absence of a response” from Telegram to official requests. The French judiciary’s actions mark a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny of Telegram’s operations in the country.