Pavel Durov, the 40-year-old founder of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris in August 2024 and accused of not taking action against extremist and terrorist content on the Telegram app he created.
Telegram, a widely used messaging platform with over 900 million active users, established by Durov, has faced scrutiny for its reported facilitation of organized crime activities.
Durov, who holds Russian and United Arab Emirates passports and advocates for internet privacy, was granted release on a five-million-euro bail following several days of interrogation.
Initially critical of his apprehension, Durov later announced measures seemingly conforming to requests from the French authorities; an investigative judge allowed him to depart France for "several weeks."
Acknowledging the gravity of the allegations while in custody, Durov, known for promoting a minimalist lifestyle, traveled to Dubai, where his firm is headquartered, with official approval, sparking discussions on online free speech and warnings from the Kremlin about potential political persecution.