French prosecutors charge Telegram CEO Pavel Durov after his release from custody
Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris over the weekend as part of sweeping investigation opened in February
Video shows Paris airport where Telegram app CEO arrested
Paris-Le Bourget Airport, once Paris' primary airport, now houses solely general aviation for private and business flights into the French capital, and is where Telegram app CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by police on Saturday. (Reuters)
French prosecutors on Wednesday handed preliminary charges to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, alleging that he allowed criminal activity on the controversial messaging app.
The charges came hours after Durov was released from custody following his arrest at Le Bourget airport outside Paris over the weekend as part of a sweeping investigation opened earlier this year.
Investigative judges also ordered the 39-year-old to pay 5 million euros (about $5.5 million) bail and to report to a police station twice a week, prosecutors said. He is barred from leaving France pending further investigation.
Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, speaks onstage during a conference in San Francisco on Sept. 21, 2015. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch / Getty Images)
Allegations against Durov, who is also a French citizen, include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
The first preliminary charge against him was for ''complicity in managing an online platform to allow illicit transactions by an organized group,'' a crime that can lead to sentences of up to 10 years in prison and a 500,000-euro fine, the prosecutor's office said.
Free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments alike have spoken out in Durov's defense since his weekend arrest.
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In Russia, where Durov was born, some government officials have denounced his arrest as politically motivated and proof of the West's double standard on freedom of speech.
French authorities opened a preliminary investigation in February in response to ''the near total absence of a response by Telegram to judicial requests" for data for pursuing suspects, notably those accused of crimes against children, the prosecutor's office said.
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov delivers his keynote address during the Mobile World Congress in Spain on Feb. 23, 2016. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Durov's arrest wasn't a political move but part of an independent investigation. Macron posted on X that his country "is deeply committed" to freedom of expression but "freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights."
Telegram said it abides by European Union laws, including the Digital Services Act.
"Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform," the company said. "Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all."
In addition to Russia and France, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
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Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother after he himself faced pressure from Russian authorities.
In 2013, he sold his stake in VKontakte, a popular Russian social networking site which he launched in 2006. The company came under pressure during the Russian government's crackdown following mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012.
FOX Business' Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.