Pavel Durov, founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, has left France and relocated to Dubai following approval from a French court.
The exact terms of the court’s decision remain unclear, but Durov’s relocation has reignited debates about jurisdiction, privacy, and the responsibilities of tech leaders in combating illegal activities on their platforms.
The Telegram founder’s legal issues began on Aug. 24, when he was temporarily arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris.
French prosecutors accused Durov of running a platform that allegedly enables illegal activities, according to charges announced on Aug. 28, 2024.
The crypto market reacted positively to the news of Durov departing from France. Toncoin, the native cryptocurrency of The Open Network (TON), spiked over 18% in market price.
First report on Durov’s case in France since late 2024
The unconfirmed reports suggest that Durov has either settled his case in France or received permission to leave the country while the court case is ongoing.
Durov did not confirm his departure on social media by publishing time, while the French government officials are yet to issue a public statement, should the news be the case.
France’s Prosecutor’s Office, or Parquet de Paris, promptly issued a statement on preliminary charges to Durov on Aug. 28, accusing the Telegram founder of facilitating a platform that enables illicit transactions.
The prosecutors claimed that Durov was facing up to 10 years of prison time in addition to a 500,000 euros ($550,000) fine.
Durov was released from French custody on Aug. 28 after posting a $6 million bail. However, French authorities required him to remain in the country and mandated his court appearance only upon the completion of the investigation.
Vinnik’s release came just a month ago
Durov, now 40, is a citizen of Russia who also holds French and United Arab Emirates passports.
Shortly after his arrest in France, the Russian government publicly expressed the willingness to provide assistance in his case, highlighting the complexity of the matter due to Durov being not only a Russian citizen but also a French citizen.
Durov’s departure from France marks another important event in the timeline of Russian programmers’ releases by governments worldwide.
Alexander Vinnik, operator of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, finally returned to Russia just a month ago following long-running disputes over his custody and indictment since his arrest in 2017.
