French authorities have disclosed a list of charges against Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging platform Telegram, following his arrest at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday.
The charges, revealed in a statement from the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, span a wide range of alleged offences against the 39-year-old tech entrepreneur.
Key allegations include:
- Complicity – web-mastering an online platform in order to enable an illegal
transaction in an organised group - Importing a cryptology tool ensuring authentication or integrity monitoring
without prior declaration - Refusal to communicate, at the request of competent authorities, information
or documents necessary for carrying out and operating interceptions allowed
by law - Complicity – possessing pornographic images of minors
- Complicity – distributing, offering or making available pornographic images of
minors, in an organised group - Complicity – acquiring, transporting, possessing, offering or selling narcotic
substances - Complicity – offering, selling or making available, without legitimate reason,
equipment, tools, programs or data designed for or adapted to get access to
and to damage the operation of an automated data processing system - Complicity – organised fraud
- Criminal association with a view to committing a crime or an offence punishable
by 5 or more years of imprisonment - Laundering of the proceeds derived from organised group’s offences and
crimes - Providing cryptology services aiming to ensure confidentiality without certified
declaration - Providing a cryptology tool not solely ensuring authentication or integrity
monitoring without prior declaration
The charges stem from a judicial investigation opened on July 8, 2024, following a preliminary inquiry by the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the statement, the custody was extended until August 25th and can last up to 96 hours i.e. August 28th.
UAE following Pavel Durov case
The UAE is closely following the case of Durov and the Ministry said the United Arab Emirates has submitted a request to the Government of the French Republic to provide him with all the necessary consular services in an urgent manner.
Furthermore, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed that prioritising the welfare of United Arab Emirates citizens, safeguarding their interests, and providing them with all aspects of support is a key priority for the country.
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