Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested by French authorities at Le Bourget Airport last week. The arrest took place on Saturday night soon after he landed at the airport on the outskirts of Paris. At the time, French authorities didn’t respond to requests for comment. The French media reported that the CEO was detained under a warrant related to alleged offenses related to the messaging app.
However, French prosecutors have now shed some light on the charges regarding the Telegram CEO’s arrest last week. As per a statement by Paris prosecutor Laure BECCUAU, the Telegram CEO is facing 12 criminal charges in France. All charges are filed against “a person unnamed”. Notably, it is a classic judicial term to imply whoever is in charge of Telegram right now.
Telegram CEO is facing charges related to money laundering, fraud & more
According to the French prosecutor’s statement, the Telegram CEO is facing multiple charges related to money laundering & more. The cases are related to Durov’s alleged complicity in several charges. He is accused of being complicit in storing and distributing CSAM content, facilitating drug trafficking, and organized fraud on the messaging platform. The prosecutor claims that the platform refuses to cooperate with the authorities when they file a request for information.
Furthermore, Durov is facing charges related to “providing cryptology services aiming to ensure confidentiality without certified declaration”. Notably, the CEO is also accused of taking part in a “criminal association with a view to committing a crime or an offense punishable by 5 or more years of imprisonment”. The complete details of the charges are available on the Tribunal de Paris court’s website here.
Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron responded on X to “false information” that the CEO’s detention was politically motivated. He said, “The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter”.
Durov remains in police custody after a judge extended his detention
The charges Durov is facing in France are hard to decipher at the moment without complete details of the investigation. We do know that Durov remains in police custody in France after an investigative judge extended his detention. The prosecutor’s statement, released on August 26, mentioned that the custody period was extended until August 25. It could last up to 96 hours (that being the August 28).
Since the deadline is here, the French authorities can decide whether Durov will be indicted for any charges mentioned above. If it happens, the court can extend the Telegram CEO’s detention further.
2024-08-28 15:06:24