French authorities on Wednesday charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with allowing criminal activity on his messaging app.
Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday as part of a judicial investigation into 12 alleged crimes that began last month. After four days of questioning in relation to the allegations, Durov was released from police custody.
But prosecutors said on Wednesday that Durov now faces a preliminary indictment for “conspiring to operate an online platform enabling illegal transactions by an organized group,” a charge that could lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros.
Under French law, a preliminary charge means a judge has sufficient grounds to believe a crime has been committed, but allows time for further investigation.
The charges against him stem from allegations that Telegram was used to distribute child sexual abuse material, facilitate drug trafficking, commit fraud and aid organized crime. Durov's legal problems are further complicated by his refusal to cooperate with investigators by concealing information and documents when legally required to do so.
According to the Associated Press, French prosecutors said in a statement that Durov was “at this stage the only person implicated in the case”, but did not rule out the possibility that other people were under investigation.
Durov, a Russian-born tech entrepreneur who now has French citizenship, has drawn mixed reactions since his arrest, with some free speech advocates saying the charges are a threat to digital freedom, while critics argue that Telegram's lax moderation policies are encouraging serious criminal activity.
The Russian government, which has previously tried to ban Telegram, has voiced support for Durov, and Kremlin officials have condemned the charges as politically motivated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Durov “had all necessary opportunities for legal defence” and that Moscow was “ready to provide all necessary assistance”, but added that “the situation is complicated by the fact that he is also a French national”.
But French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Durov's arrest was not politically motivated and was part of an independent judicial process, posting on X that his country was “deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but that “freedoms are protected within a legal framework to protect our citizens and respect their fundamental rights, both on social media and in real life.”
Meanwhile, Telegram, in a statement posted to its platform after Durov's arrest, said it complies with EU law and that its moderation is “within industry standards and is constantly improving.”
“It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owners are responsible for the misuse of its platform,” Telegram's post read. “Nearly one billion users around the world use Telegram as a means of communication and an important source of information. We await a swift resolution to this situation. Telegram stands with you.”
Durov has yet to comment publicly on the allegations, but he continues to run the increasingly popular platform Telegram.