Watch: Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Under Investigation, Bail Set at $5.56 Million

Telegram founder Pavel Durov is under formal investigation and has been barred from leaving France, according to a statement released Wednesday night by a French prosecutor.

The Russian-born billionaire is being investigated for several alleged offenses linked to criminal activities on Telegram. These include complicity in illegal gang transactions, “laundering of crimes in an organized gang,” and refusal to provide information to authorities, as stated by the French prosecutor.

Under judicial supervision, Durov must remain in France, with bail set at $5.56 million (5 million euros). He is also required to report to the French police station twice a week.

Earlier in the day, Durov was released from police custody in France and transferred to court for questioning, following his dramatic arrest at a Paris airport a few days earlier, prosecutors informed CNN.

The formal investigation does not imply guilt but indicates that prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant a serious official inquiry. Durov has not yet been formally charged.

The prosecutor’s office also noted that the French National Office for Minors reported the “near absence of response” from Telegram to court requests concerning offenses like trafficking, online hate speech, and crimes involving pedophilia.

The investigation is probing suspected acts, including “complicity in the administration of a platform enabling an illegal transaction in an organized gang,” an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Durov, 39, was detained at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday under a warrant related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation. He is being investigated on charges related to various crimes, including allegations that his platform facilitated fraud, drug trafficking, and the distribution of child pornography.

Telegram has also faced scrutiny for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists due to its lack of content moderation.

Durov was held in custody for up to 96 hours, the maximum time allowed under French law before charges must be filed.

His arrest has sparked a debate over freedom of speech, raising particular concerns in both Ukraine and Russia, where Telegram is extremely popular and serves as a crucial communication tool during Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Russia criticized France for detaining Durov, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accusing Paris of trampling on international norms regarding freedom of speech. She argued that France’s actions contradicted its stated commitment to protecting free expression.

The Kremlin sought to reassure Russian users about Telegram’s future, with government spokesman Dmitry Peskov urging people not to delete sensitive messages from the app.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the issue on Monday, stating that the decision to investigate Durov was “in no way political,” a rare comment on judicial matters from a French leader.

Telegram, launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, now has over 950 million users, making it one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms. The app’s encrypted conversations mean that law enforcement agencies—and even Telegram itself—have limited oversight over user activity.

Born in the Soviet Union in 1984, Durov was once dubbed the “Mark Zuckerberg of Russia” in his 20s. He left Russia in 2014 and now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, while also holding French citizenship. According to Bloomberg, he is worth an estimated $9.15 billion and has maintained a luxurious, globe-trotting lifestyle over the past decade.

Although Telegram has been praised by free speech advocates and allows private communication in countries with restrictive regimes, critics argue that it has also become a haven for coordinating illegal activities, including the planning of the November 2015 Paris terror attacks.

“You cannot make it safe against criminals and open for governments,” Durov told CNN in 2016. “It’s either secure or not secure.”