Pavel Durov criticizes French probe one year into arrest
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Telegram founder Pavel Durov denounces France’s investigation a year after his arrest in Paris, insisting no wrongdoing has been found against him or the platform.
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FILE - Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov appears at an event on Aug 1, 2017, in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has sharply criticized French authorities over their ongoing investigation into the platform, saying officials have failed to present any evidence of wrongdoing a year after his arrest in Paris.
“One year ago, the French police detained me for four days because some people I’d never heard of used Telegram to coordinate crimes,” Durov wrote on his channel Sunday evening. “A year later, the ‘criminal investigation’ against me is still struggling to find anything that I or Telegram did wrong.”
The Russian-born entrepreneur, who also holds French citizenship, was detained in August 2024 and placed under formal investigation on allegations that Telegram facilitated illicit transactions, the spread of child abuse material, and other criminal content. He has rejected the accusations, calling his arrest a “massive damage to France’s image as a free country.”
French prosecutors accuse Durov of complicity in running a platform that enabled criminal activity. Durov has consistently maintained that the charges are baseless, stressing that Telegram’s moderation policies align with industry standards and that the company responds to all legally binding requests from French authorities.
“Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented, it was legally and logically absurd,” he wrote, pledging to continue fighting the case.
During questioning in December 2024, Durov acknowledged that criminal groups have attempted to exploit Telegram but said the company was working to strengthen oversight.
Legal battle continues as Durov remains under restrictions
Although judicial controls were eased in July, allowing him to stay in the United Arab Emirates for limited periods, Durov remains bound by a requirement to return to France every 14 days. No appeal date has yet been set.
“I still have to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date in sight,” he wrote.
For now, the case remains unresolved, with Durov continuing to frame it as both a personal battle and a wider struggle over digital freedoms.
