Durov is "stuck" in France—Telegram's founder won't face trial in the coming year.

Pavel Durov's case in France will not reach the courts for at least another year, and it is too early to discuss a settlement, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.

https://sud.ua/ru/news/abroad/322532-durov-zastryal-vo-frantsii-delo-osnovatelya-telegram-ne-budet-peredano-v-sud-v-blizhayshiy-god2025-02-06 09:35:34

The case of Telegram messenger founder Pavel Durov will not be brought to trial in France for at least a year or more. This was reported by the representative of the Paris prosecutor's office Maïlis de Rêque in a comment to Wired .

According to Wired, the messenger "appears to be in limbo, waiting for its leader, who has positioned himself as irreplaceable, to be replaced." Durov is unable to leave France due to the conditions of his bail.

As de Rêque explained, an arrest warrant for Durov was issued after numerous investigations in various departments of France stalled due to Telegram's refusal to respond to law enforcement requests. Between 2013 and 2024, the French gendarmerie counted 2,460 instances where legal requests went unanswered. In the French prosecutor's office, Durov's silence was described as "equivalent to complicity."

Durov's arrest followed an investigation into one of Telegram's users who coerced underage girls into sending him illegal content and confessed on the platform to raping one girl. When investigators requested Telegram to disclose the suspect's identity, the company declined.

By July 2024, the investigation had expanded to cover a wide range of crimes, with a specialized French unit combating cybercrime becoming involved.

An employee working on cybercrime investigations, but not directly related to Durov's case, stated that Telegram's compliance with requests for metadata assists in numerous investigations, especially in the area of drug trafficking.

Recall that on August 24, Pavel Durov was detained at Paris airport. He was held for several days before being released on a €5 million bail, with the obligation to check in with the police twice a week. He is prohibited from leaving France.

Durov was placed on France's wanted list, and the arrest warrant was issued by the National Judicial Police of France based on a preliminary investigation.

Pavel Durov has been charged with 12 crimes.

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