The Paris Judicial Court has charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with 12 criminal counts following an investigation launched by the prosecutor's office on July 8, 2024.
The 39-year-old Russian-born executive will stay in custody until August 28, following his arrest over the weekend in Paris. Namely, Durov has been charged with being complicit in "web-mastering" an online platform in order to enable illegal transactions in organized groups, distributing drugs and hacking tools, as well as "offering" and "possessing" pornographic images of minors. Durov is also accused of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the arrest of the Telegram CEO was not a political decision but "part of an ongoing judicial investigation."
