Telegram CEO Transferred to Court After Four Days of Detention in Paris

The French prosecutor's office stated that the detention of Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, by the police has ended, and international media reported that he has been transferred to court after four days of interrogation regarding the charges against him. Mr. Durov was arrested on 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 said in a statement released on Wednesday, September 7, that the CEO of the messaging app Telegram is going to court to face potential charges against him. A source close to the case told AFP that he was taken to court today, and French judicial authorities will decide on the next steps regarding the Telegram CEO. Reuters also confirmed the presence of this technology billionaire in court on Wednesday. An investigative judge in Paris will decide whether to issue an indictment against Pavel Durov, and then the court will rule on whether he should remain in custody or be granted conditional release under specific measures that restrict his movement. Laure Becco, the Paris prosecutor, stated on Monday evening that the detention of Pavel Durov is part of an investigation into complicity with a cybercriminal. According to Becco, the arrest of the Telegram CEO is based on suspicion of complicity with a detained suspect, and investigations initiated by the Paris cybercrime unit since last month. The Paris prosecutor's statement added that this investigation is related to suspicions of involvement in various crimes, including the establishment of an online platform that facilitates illegal transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking, fraud, as well as failure to provide information to authorities, money laundering, and providing encryption services to criminals. Pavel Durov, 39, holds citizenship in Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, and Forbes estimates his total wealth at $15.5 billion. AFP previously reported that investigations into the Telegram CEO's allegations began secretly on July 8. Le Monde reported on Wednesday that Mr. Durov had met several times with Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, before obtaining French citizenship. The Wall Street Journal also reported that in 2018, Mr. Macron, who was a 'keen Telegram user,' had suggested to Pavel Durov to move the messaging app's headquarters to Paris, but the Telegram CEO rejected the offer. Emmanuel Macron emphasized on Monday following the arrest of Pavel Durov that his detention is not related to political issues and that in cyberspace, as in real life, freedoms are exercised within the framework of the law to protect citizens.