Telegram Founder and CEO Pavel Durov released on €5 million bail
Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. (Reuters Photo)
Pavel Durov, CEO of the messaging app Telegram, has been released from custody on €5 million bail following his indictment on multiple charges related to illegal activities on the platform. Durov was detained at Paris’ Le Bourget airport on Saturday night and has been under close watch since.
The court’s decision to grant bail comes with stringent conditions. Durov is forbidden from leaving France and is required to check in at a local police station twice a week. This release follows a dramatic escalation in the legal and diplomatic tensions surrounding the case.
The charges against Durov include complicity in managing an online platform to facilitate illegal transactions and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. Additionally, he faces accusations related to child pornography and drug trafficking.
Durov’s lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, criticized the charges, asserting that Telegram complies with European digital norms and dismissing the indictment as “absurd.” The ongoing case has intensified scrutiny of Telegram and its role in global criminal activity, adding pressure on the tech giant amidst a broader debate over online regulation.
