RT reported that the Paris Prosecutor's Office has published a list of dozens of charges that could be brought against Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, ranging from complicity in drug trafficking and money laundering, to facilitate the distribution of child pornography.
Pavel Durov - 39 years old, nationality of Russia, France, UAE, St. Kitts and Nevis - were arrested by French authorities on August 24 after arriving in Paris from Azerbaijan by private plane.
In a press release on August 26, prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that Durov was arrested as part of a broad criminal investigation against an “unnamed person”.
As part of that investigation, 12 charges are being considered against Durov, including facilitating drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime as well as assisting in the distribution of pornography children.
Prosecutor Beccuau said the businessman was also being investigated for refusing to cooperate with cybercrime and financial crimes investigations.
Criminal investigations in France are conducted by special judges. Charges are often announced before investigators have finished gathering evidence. Investigations can take years, and charges can be dropped at any time if insufficient evidence of a crime is found.
The investigation, which began last month, is being conducted by France's anti-cybercrime and fraud offices, the press release said.
On August 25, Telegram called it “absurd” to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform. Telegram complies with local laws, including the European Union's (EU) Digital Rights Act (DSA) and Russia sanctions , the company added.
Telegram - a messaging platform with nearly 1 billion monthly users - often refuses to hand over user data or chat records to law enforcement.
Durov said that his focus on user privacy made him a target for intelligence agencies around the world.
In April, Durov said the FBI tried to recruit one of his employees to install a backdoor - software that can penetrate the application to spy on Telegram users.
Anti-censorship activists describe Durov's arrest as part of a 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 more widely on Telegram.
X owner Elon Musk, American journalist Tucker Carlson and Silicon Valley investor David Sacks all condemned Durov's arrest as an attack on free speech.
In a social media post on August 26, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Durov's arrest was "not a political decision" but part of an "ongoing judicial investigation."
Mr. Macron added: "More than anyone else, France respects freedom of speech and expression, innovation and the spirit of enterprise."
