Pavel Durov’s arrest triggers international diplomatic storm
On Wednesday, French authorities charged Pavel Durov, the General Director of Telegram, with six counts related to illicit activities on the app.
Durov was released from custody on bail set at 5 million euros. He is barred from leaving France and must report to a police station twice a week, according to Politico.
The charges include complicity in managing an online platform "for the purpose of facilitating illegal transactions involving organised crime" and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement, according to a press release from the Paris prosecutor's office.
The governments of Paris, Moscow, and Abu Dhabi have been caught up in a diplomatic storm triggered by the sensational arrest of one of the world’s most influential technology entrepreneurs. This event has also ignited a heated debate about online freedom of expression and technology regulation.
Durov is additionally accused of "complicity in crimes related to providing, without legitimate reason, a program or data designed for... organised distribution of images of minors depicting child pornography and drug trafficking."
Telegram "figures in several cases involving various crimes (such as child sexual abuse, trafficking, and online hate)," according to the prosecution, which highlighted Telegram’s "nearly complete failure to respond to judicial requests."
It is worth noting that the Russian-born tech magnate was detained at Le Bourget Airport in Paris from Saturday night to Sunday morning, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into criminal activity on the messaging platform.
Telegram, a messaging app based in Dubai, has long faced scrutiny over allegations of widespread fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, terrorism promotion, and cyberbullying on its platform.
Following Durov’s arrest, Telegram firmly denied any suggestion of criminal activity in an online statement on Sunday, asserting that it complies with all EU laws and that Durov "has nothing to hide."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
