Telegram Founder Released on $5.5 Million Bail, Banned from Leaving France

Written by Camilla Jessen

Aug.29 - 2024 9:00 AM CET

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Photo: Telegram
Photo: Telegram
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released on bail.

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Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging platform Telegram, has been released on bail of $5.5 million (about €5 million) following his arrest in France.

Durov faces multiple charges related to his platform's alleged failure to counteract the distribution of criminal content. He has been placed under judicial supervision and is prohibited from leaving the country.

According to the Russian media outlet Interfax, the French authorities have imposed strict conditions on Durov's release, requiring him to report to the police twice a week.

The entrepreneur was apprehended on August 24 at Paris' Le Bourget airport after his private jet landed.

According to the Paris prosecutor's office, Durov is suspected of involvement in 12 crimes linked to the use of Telegram. The charges include accusations that the platform facilitated illegal transactions and was exploited by fraudsters.

In addition to these charges, French investigators are reportedly gathering information in a separate case involving allegations of physical abuse by Durov against one of his sons, born in 2017.