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By Ezekiel David
French judges are set to decide on Wednesday whether to place Pavel Durov, the Russian-born CEO of Telegram, under formal investigation following his recent arrest.
Durov was detained on Saturday evening at an airport near Paris as part of a broader probe into organized crime activities on the messaging app.
The decision, expected by 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), comes as the maximum 96-hour detention period nears its end. Durov’s arrest has sparked discussions about the responsibilities of app providers in policing illegal activities on their platforms and the balance between free speech and law enforcement.
This case also underscores the complex relationship between Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users, and various governments. Durov previously met with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 as part of a series of discussions with tech entrepreneurs, according to a source close to Macron.
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In France, being placed under formal investigation does not imply guilt but indicates that judges find enough grounds to continue their probe, which could stretch on for years. Should Durov be placed under formal investigation, judges will also decide if he should be held in pretrial detention, considering the risk of him fleeing.
The investigation currently targets unnamed individuals and focuses on crimes including hosting illegal transactions, possessing child exploitation material, drug trafficking, fraud, and providing cryptographic services to criminals. The prosecutor’s office has not specified which charges, if any, apply to Durov. His lawyer has not responded to requests for comment.
Amid criticism from Russia and Elon Musk regarding Durov’s arrest, Macron publicly reaffirmed France’s commitment to free speech and judicial independence, stressing that the judiciary acted independently in this case.
Durov has held French citizenship since 2021.
(Source: Reuters)
