French prosecutors are expected to charge or release Pavel Durov, the CEO of popular messaging app Telegram, after his police custody order expires on Wednesday. Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a judicial inquiry involving 12 alleged criminal violations, including accusations related to child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud, and abetting organized crime transactions.
Under French law, Durov can be held in custody for questioning for up to 96 hours after the arrest. The Paris prosecutor's office stated that Durov's police custody order was extended for up to 48 hours, after which authorities must release or charge him.
His arrest has sparked outrage in Russia, with some officials claiming it is politically motivated. In Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made veiled comments praising France for being strict against internet governance violators.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Durov's arrest was part of an independent investigation and not politically motivated. Telegram, in a statement, asserted its compliance with EU laws and industry standards for content moderation.
Durov, a citizen of multiple countries, including Russia and France, founded Telegram with his brother after facing pressure from Russian authorities. The messaging platform, with nearly a billion users globally, has been criticized for its lack of content moderation by Western governments.
In 2022, Germany fined Telegram's operators for failing to establish a lawful way to report illegal content, as required by German laws regulating large online platforms.
