A lawyer for Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has called it “totally absurd” to hold the head of a social network responsible for any criminal activities conducted on the platform. This statement came after a French judge placed Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday, suspecting him of complicity in running a platform that allegedly facilitates illicit transactions, images of child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, money laundering, and non-cooperation with judicial authorities.
Durov was arrested on Saturday at an airport near Paris and held in police custody for four days before being granted bail, provided he pays 5 million euros ($5.6 million), reports to the police twice a week, and does not leave France.
The case has sparked debate over the limits of free speech and the responsibilities of tech companies for the content shared on their platforms. Telegram, which has close to a billion users, claims to comply fully with European digital regulations, according to Durov’s lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski.
Kaminski emphasized that it was unreasonable to assume Durov’s involvement in any criminal activities linked to the platform. He also noted that being under formal investigation in France does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to a trial, as such investigations can last for years before reaching a conclusion.
French President Emmanuel Macron, a known Telegram user, stated that Durov’s arrest was “in no way a political decision” and stressed that it was initiated by judicial authorities, not the government. Durov, who met with Macron in 2018 during a series of meetings with tech entrepreneurs, was granted French citizenship in 2021 under a special procedure for high-profile individuals.
