RT reported that on August 28, the court in France officially prosecuted the founder of Telegram, Russian billionaire Pavel Durov, accusing the CEO of complicity in a series of crimes and banning him from leaving France until the case is resolved. end.
Durov appeared in court in Paris on August 28, four days after he was arrested upon arriving in the French capital from Azerbaijan. In a statement released the same evening, the court said Durov was officially charged with dozens of crimes, including complicity in "managing an online platform" used by a criminal gang. used to carry out illegal transactions - a crime the court said carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The remaining charges, announced by prosecutors on August 26, include facilitating fraud, money laundering, drug distribution , child pornography, as well as refusing to transfer user data to investigation by law enforcement.
Russian businessman, who also holds French, UAE and St. Kitts and Nevis, was released on bail of 5 million euros ($5.55 million).
He was ordered to stay in France until the investigation against him was finished and to report to the police station twice a week.
Criminal investigations in France are conducted by special judges who are given broad powers. Charges like those against Durov are often announced before investigators have finished gathering evidence and can be dropped at any time if they cannot be proven.
The court statement noted that the investigation against Durov began in February. This detail contradicts a statement released by prosecutors on August 26, which said the investigation began last month . The investigation was led by OFMIN, a French agency tasked with investigating crimes against minors.
Telegram , which has nearly 1 billion monthly users, generally refuses to hand over user data or chat records to law enforcement. However, the company said on August 25 that it complies with local laws and emphasized that "it is unreasonable to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform." ".
Anti-censorship activists describe Durov's arrest as part of a broader campaign against free speech waged by Western governments.
US National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden accused France of holding the businessman "hostage" to access private communications on Telegram.
In a social media post on August 26, French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that Durov's arrest was "absolutely not a political decision" and that "more than anyone else, France is always committed to freedom of speech." opinion and freedom of expression".
It is unclear whether Durov has been forced to hand over user data since his arrest on August 24. Sergey Naryshkin - head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) - said that Telegram CEO may be forced to hand over data. "I really hope he will not allow this," Naryshkin told Russia's TASS news agency.
