Telegram founder officially indicted in France over alleged complicity in crimes on platform

Telegram founder Pavel Durov was formally indicted by a French court on Wednesday, for allegedly being complicit in multiple crimes occurring on his platform.

Durov was first arrested at a Paris airport on Saturday, after his private jet landed in France from Azerbaijan. Durov, a billionaire, was born in Russia but has been in exile.

The Telegram founder will no longer be allowed to leave France under judicial supervision, but he has posted a bail of five million euros, according to The Hill. He will also be required to check in at a police station twice a week.

Durov has been charged with six crimes, including complicity in the distribution of child pornography, gang-related charges, fraud, and drug trafficking. 

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram said in a statement. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

If convicted, Durov faces up to 10 years in a French prison for the charge “complicity in the administration of a platform enabling an illegal transaction in an organized gang,” per CNN.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.