Pavel Durov, co-founder of the Telegram messaging app, has described his arrest in France a year ago as a mistake by the French authorities, stating that the ongoing investigation has failed to establish any wrongdoing by him or his platform, reports TAAS.
“Ironically, I was arrested due to the French police’s own procedural error,” Durov wrote on Telegram. “Before August 2024, they ignored both French and EU legal protocols and had not submitted any of their inquiries to Telegram through the required official channels.”
Durov emphasized that Telegram’s moderation practices are in line with industry standards and that the platform has consistently complied with all legally binding requests from French authorities.
“A year later, the investigation has produced no evidence of guilt—neither on my part nor Telegram’s,” he added.
Durov argued that the only outcome of his arrest has been reputational damage to France as a country that promotes freedom. Despite the lack of charges, he noted that he is still required to return to France every 14 days. No date has yet been set for his appeal hearing.
On August 24, 2024, Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on multiple charges, including alleged complicity in operating a digital platform used for illegal transactions within a criminal organization. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the charges carry a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a €500,000 fine.
Following his arrest, a French investigating judge placed Durov under judicial control. He was required to pay €5 million in bail, report to the police twice a week, and was banned from leaving the country.
In June 2025, French authorities eased the restrictions, permitting Durov to leave France on July 10.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
