French law enforcement authorities have allowed Telegram founder Pavel Durov to temporarily leave the country, where he is accused of numerous offenses related to allegedly aiding organized crime.
French law enforcement authorities have allowed Telegram founder Pavel Durov to temporarily leave the country, where he is accused of numerous offenses related to allegedly aiding organized crime.
«He flew out of France this morning (March 15 — ed.),» a source familiar with the matter told AFP, adding that Durov left with the permission of the authorities.
According to another source, the investigating judge allowed him to leave France for «a few weeks.» Another source said Durov flew to Dubai.
A Telegram spokesperson declined to comment, saying the company would issue a statement later.
In addition, a source close to the case reported that the investigating judge granted Durov’s request to change his supervision conditions a few days ago.
Recall that Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris in August 2024 and charged with a number of violations related to the fact that his Telegram application is widely used by criminals and does not cooperate with law enforcement. He was banned from leaving the country. He was released on bail of five million euros.
Durov holds Russian, French, and United Arab Emirates passports.
In January, the founder of Telegram told investigators that he «realized the seriousness of all the allegations,» and Telegram began providing information upon requests from law enforcement agencies in various countries.
