Pavel Durov, Founder of Telegram, Released on Bail After Being Charged

After four days of detention, Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the social media platform Telegram, was officially charged by the French prosecutor's office and released from jail after posting a five million euro bail. However, the 39-year-old Durov, who acquired French citizenship in 2021, currently does not have the right to leave the country. Among the charges against the founder of Telegram, which has over one billion users, are facilitating illicit transactions by organized groups and the criminal and organized distribution of child sexual abuse images. Durov was arrested last Saturday evening at Le Bourget Airport in the suburbs of Paris as part of a judicial investigation that began last month and includes 12 criminal charges. The Paris prosecutor's office stated in a statement released on Wednesday, September 7, that the investigation is related to suspicions of Durov's involvement in various crimes, including the establishment of an online platform that facilitates illegal transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, failure to provide information to authorities, money laundering, and providing encryption services to criminals. France: Durov was arrested for 'failing to cooperate' regarding certain crimes. AFP had previously reported that the investigation into the Telegram CEO's charges began secretly on July 8. Durov, who holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, has an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion according to Forbes. According to the French prosecutor's office, among the conditions of Durov's conditional release, in addition to posting a five million euro bail, is to report to the police station twice a week. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized on Monday following Durov's arrest that his detention is not politically motivated and that, in the online space as in real life, freedoms are exercised within the framework of the law to protect citizens.