Telegram founder Pavel Durov faces serious charges in France, including complicity in the distribution of drugs and child pornography. He faces up to 10 years in prison, and the investigation also involves his brother Nikolai.
Case against Durov
Charges and arrest
Creator of the popular Telegram messenger Pavel Durov is accused of involvement in a number of serious crimes. Among them are such serious offenses as assistance in the distribution of narcotic substances and materials related to the exploitation of minors.
Conditions of release
Currently, Durov has been released under judicial control with an obligation to post bail in the amount of 5 million euros. He is prohibited from leaving French territory and must report to the police station twice a week.
The essence of the charges
Durov is charged with complicity in at least 12 crimes due to his refusal to moderate content on Telegram and cooperate with law enforcement agencies. According to French law, he faces punishment for each of the charges, which together could lead to imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Reasons for the investigation
The prosecutor's office initiated the investigation due to Telegram's systematic ignoring of legal requests, including from other European countries. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that Durov's detention has no political motives.
Chronology of events
Pavel Durov was detained at Paris airport over the weekend after arriving on a private jet. He was placed in custody for four days. Later it became known that France had also put his brother Nikolai on the wanted list. According to Politico, the investigation into both brothers began several months ago.
Additional problems
In addition, Durov appears in the investigation based on the statement of Irina Bolgar, the mother of his three children, regarding violence against his son. There is also an ongoing European Union investigation suggesting that Telegram may have underreported the actual number of users from Europe to avoid compliance with regulations set for large IT companies.
Glossary
- Telegram is a popular instant messenger for exchanging messages and files
- Pavel Durov - Russian entrepreneur, founder of Telegram and VKontakte
- Nikolay Durov - brother of Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram
- Emmanuel Macron - current President of France
- Irina Bolgar - mother of Pavel Durov's children
Links
- Judicial Review Information
- Politico article about the search for Nikolai Durov
- Article Forbes on Irina Bolgar's complaint
- Financial Times article on the EU investigation
Answers to questions
What Telegram founder accused?
What preventive measures were applied to Pavel Durov?
What punishment does Pavel Durov face?
Why was an investigation launched into Telegram?
What other investigations are underway regarding Pavel Durov?
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Discussion of the topic – Pavel Durov on trial: from freedom to 10 years in prison
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released on bail in France, but is prohibited from leaving the country. He faces up to 10 years in prison for his alleged involvement in a number of crimes, including selling drugs and distributing child pornography.
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Federico
Wow, what a situation with Durov! 😱 Is Telegram really so poorly moderated? I thought they had a team that monitors the content.
Oksana
Federico, I'm shocked too! But, to be honest, I always suspected that there was a lot of dubious content on Telegram. Although 10 years in prison is too cruel, in my opinion. 🤔
Hans
Guys, don't you think this could be political pressure? 🧐 Telegram is known for its protection of user privacy. Maybe the authorities don't like it?
Sophie
Hans, I agree! Sounds suspicious. Especially considering that Macron specifically emphasized that this is not a political decision. Usually they say that when it’s just politics 😅
Grzegorz
Come on, what's the policy? If there really is child pornography and drugs, then Durov must answer. You cannot simply ignore laws and requests from authorities.
Oksana
Grzegorz, you're right, but don't you think it's strange that he was detained right now? Telegram has been around for many years. Why is there suddenly such a rush to make an arrest? 🤷♀️
Viktor
Youth, you are all naive. What difference does it make - politics, not politics? All these social networks and instant messengers are evil. All they do is monitor us and collect data. It would be better if they read books.
Federico
Viktor, well, you bent! 😂 You can’t live without modern technologies. But I agree that you need to be careful. I wonder how this story with Durov will affect the future of Telegram? 🤔