After four days of questioning, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been freed from police custody, French prosecutors said. He was arrested on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris over allegations that his messaging app was being used for illegal activities.
“An investigating judge has ended Pavel Durov's police custody and will have him brought to court for a first appearance and a possible indictment,” a statement from the Paris prosecutor's office said. It is alleged that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, fraud and abetting organized crime transactions. It is also alleged that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
Durov's arrest in France has caused outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it politically motivated and proof of the West's double standard on freedom of speech. The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities themselves tried to block the Telegram app but failed, withdrawing the ban in 2020.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Durov's arrest wasn't a political move but part of an independent investigation. Macron posted on X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”
In a statement posted on its platform after Durov's arrest, Telegram said it abides by EU laws, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.” “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram's post said.
(With inputs from PTI/AP)
