A lawyer representing Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov, who is under investigation in France, has described suggestions that the social network head could be implicated in criminal activities on the platform as "totally absurd", according to French media reports. A French judge formally investigated Durov on Wednesday, suspecting him of involvement in operating an online platform facilitating illegal transactions, child sex abuse images, and drug trafficking. He is also being probed for alleged money laundering and non-cooperation with judicial authorities.
Durov, who was arrested and spent four days in police custody after being detained at an airport near Paris, was released on bail requiring him to pay 5 million euros and remain within French territory. He must also report to local police twice weekly and adhere to specific home hours, though details on his residence and required hours were not disclosed. His arrest has sparked discussions about the boundaries between free speech and law enforcement, and the responsibilities of tech companies regarding social media content. Telegram boasts nearly a billion users.
"It's totally absurd to believe that the head of a social network could be implicated in criminal acts that do not concern him, either directly or indirectly," said Durov's lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, in remarks to reporters. Kaminski also stated that Telegram complies fully with European digital regulations. Being under formal investigation in France does not equate to guilt or guarantee a trial but signifies that judges believe there is sufficient evidence to continue the investigation, which can span years before concluding in a trial or being dropped.
Kaminski did not respond immediately to a request for comment from Reuters. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has expressed that Durov's arrest, which has exacerbated tensions between France and Russia, should not evolve into "political persecution". Durov holds both French and Russian citizenship. French President Emmanuel Macron, an avid Telegram user, clarified that Durov's arrest was not a political decision and that the judicial authorities, not the government, made the investigation decision. Macron had previously met with Durov in 2018 during a series of tech entrepreneur meetings, and Durov obtained French citizenship in 2021 through a special procedure for prominent individuals.
