- Russian-born messaging app founder allowed to temporarily return to Dubai after receiving clearance from investigating judges
- French authorities arrested him and charged him with multiple counts of failing to curb “extremist” and “terrorist” content.
PARIS: Russian-born Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on Monday it was “great to be back home” after he was allowed to temporarily return to Dubai from France despite an investigation into illegal content on the popular service.
Durov, 40, was arrested in France last year, held for several days and charged over illegal content that users posted on Telegram. He was released but not allowed to leave the country.
However, over the weekend he returned to the United Arab Emirates, where he lives and holds citizenship, after receiving permission from the investigating judges in charge of the case to leave France.
“As you may have heard, I returned to Dubai after several months spent in France due to an investigation related to the activities of criminals on Telegram,” Durov wrote in a post on Telegram.
“It's still a process, but it's nice to be back home,” he said.
He thanked the investigating judges “for allowing this to happen,” adding that “for years, Telegram has not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.”
Durov was able to leave France after investigating judges released him from the judicial control measures imposed on him following his release last year for the period from March 15 to April 7, the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP on Monday.
He was ordered to report to the police twice a week, was banned from leaving France and had to post bail of five million euros.
His arrest in August 2024 marked the first time a founder of a social media company has been arrested for content on their platform. With more than 900 million active users, Telegram is one of the world's leading messaging apps.
After days of questioning following his arrest, he was charged with multiple counts of failing to suppress “extremist” and “terrorist” content.
Excerpts from Durov's interrogation in December, relayed through a translator and shared with AFP, showed that he initially accused French authorities of failing to warn Telegram about his alleged criminal activity.
However, he acknowledged that while in custody he “realised the seriousness of all the charges”.
