In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the judge found there were grounds to formally investigate Durov on all the charges he was initially arrested for.
ADVERTISEMENTFrench authorities late on Wednesday handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov preliminary charges for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app.
He was released earlier in the day after four days of questioning, but has been barred from leaving France pending further investigation.
The co-founder of the messaging app was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a sweeping judicial inquiry opened last month.
Investigative judges filed the preliminary charges on Wednesday night and ordered him to pay €5 million bail and to report to a police station twice a week.
Allegations against the Russia-born 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 €500,000 fine, the prosecutor's office said.
Outrage in Russia
Durov's arrest in France has caused outrage in Russia, with some government officials calling it politically motivated and proof of the West’s double standard on freedom of speech.
The outcry has raised eyebrows among Kremlin critics because in 2018, Russian authorities themselves tried to block the Telegram app but failed, withdrawing the ban in 2020.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Durov's arrest wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.
He 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".
In a statement posted on its platform after Durov's arrest, Telegram said it abides by European Union laws, and its moderation is "within industry standards and constantly improving".
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.
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.
