Telegram CEO Pavel Durov indicted, placed under judicial supervision in France

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was indicted and placed on probation by a Paris court on August 28 following his recent arrest on charges involving terrorism and child abuse.

Durov was charged and placed under judicial custody. He was ordered to pay €5 million bail, report to police stations twice a week and be banned from leaving French territory, according to press releases.

INTEL: TELEGRAM’S DUROV WAS PUT ON PROBATION, HE SHOULD NOT LEAVE FRANCE

— Solid Intel 📡 (@solidintel_x) August 28, 2024

The decision came after Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris on August 26 and then transferred to a Paris courthouse. The court’s decision revolves around accusations that Durov failed to moderate criminal content on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram.

Durov is not allowed to leave France.

Durov’s accusations

Durov, the French-Russian billionaire, has faced legal challenges after French authorities accused him of being complicit in a range of illegal activities, including child sexual abuse material, cybercrime and drug trafficking. He faces 12 alleged charges.

This outcome of the case will have far-reaching consequences for Durov and Telegram, as the platform has been under scrutiny for its role in facilitating criminal activity.

The arrest led to a sharp drop in Telegram-affiliated cryptocurrency Toncoin (TON), which fell 20 percent to $5.3, while its market value fell to $13.6 billion.

The crypto community has expressed strong support for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested in France over allegations of inadequate monitoring of criminal activity on the platform.