Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO, has returned to Dubai after receiving permission to leave France, where he is currently under investigation.
Durov was arrested at an airport near Paris last August, and he was later barred from leaving France due to a formal investigation into criminal activities related to the messaging app he created.
He stated that he spent several months in France cooperating with investigations regarding criminal activities on Telegram. The investigation is ongoing, but he expressed relief at being back home.
He expressed gratitude to the investigative judge for allowing him to leave France and praised his legal team for demonstrating Telegram’s commitment to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime.
Durov’s arrest at Le Bourgette airport marked the first time the founder of a social media platform was detained for content on the platform. With over 900 million active users, Telegram is among the world’s top messaging apps.
After his arrest, he was charged with failing to control extremist and terrorist content and released on 5 million euros bail.
Sources revealed that he left France with official permission, granted by an investigative judge, within a few weeks of his arrest.
Durov, who holds passports for Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, has received French nationality, defended by President Emmanuel Macron.
Elon Musk, CEO of X, expressed support for Durov under the hashtag Freepavel, warning of potential political persecution by the Kremlin.
Despite initially criticizing the French authorities, Durov acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations during his custody, where he was confronted with numerous criminal accusations.
Source: www.theguardian.com
