Pavel Durov, co-founder of the messaging app Telegram, stated that he is still compelled to regularly return to France due to a criminal investigation concerning the use of the service by unknown individuals for coordinating criminal activities.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for the Investigation and Durov’s Position
According to Durov, the French police have been ignoring official procedures for sending requests regarding Telegram for many years. In August 2024, Durov was detained in France due to an investigation into the actions of third parties within the Telegram app. The entrepreneur emphasized that he was held for four days, even though the investigation found no wrongdoing on his part or that of Telegram.
“The arrest of the CEO of a major platform for the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd,” Durov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Subsequent Events and Impact on France’s Image
Durov highlighted that the arrest occurred due to the mistakes of French law enforcement, which, until August 2024, did not adhere to French and European legal norms and failed to send official requests in the proper manner. A year after his detention, Durov notes that he is forced to come to France every 14 days, with no date set for an appeal.
“A year has passed since this strange arrest, and I still have to return to France every 14 days, with no defined date for an appeal. Unfortunately, the only outcome of my arrest so far has been colossal damage to France’s image as a free country,” Durov said.
In June 2025, the conditions of supervision over Pavel Durov were eased, allowing him to visit Dubai. However, the need for regular returns to France remains in effect.