Pavel Durov Has Been Granted Temporary Permission to Leave France

• A French court has allowed the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, to travel to Dubai for several weeks. 
• In August 2024, Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport, and he was charged with failing to prevent criminal activities on Telegram. 

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has received approval from a French court to leave the country and stay in Dubai for several weeks. This decision by the court changes his judicial supervision. 

A French judge approved Pavel Durov’s request to change his judicial supervision a few days ago; this allowed him to leave the country for several weeks. According to sources, he departed from Le Bourget Airport near Paris earlier today with official authorization. 

While the exact details of the ruling remain unclear, his departure has sparked discussions about legal jurisdiction, privacy, and the role of tech leaders in preventing criminal activity on their platforms.

The Previous Charges Held against Pavel Durov 

Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport in August 2024 and charged with different criminal activities linked to his encrypted messaging app.

Authorities accused him of not doing enough to prevent the illegal use of the platform. During questioning in December, Durov defended himself, saying that he and his brother did not create Telegram in 2013 for criminals. 

He also admitted that although some bad people use the platform, he described them as a small fraction of its overall user base. He also claimed to have cooperated with the French authorities, officials, and even the president and the French consul in Dubai, who were aware of his personal Telegram account and residence.

Durov, who holds Russian, French, and UAE passports, initially criticized his arrest but later took steps to comply with French authorities’ demands. In January, he reportedly told investigators that he understood the seriousness of the allegations against him.

Soon after his arrest, Russia stated its readiness to help him, emphasizing the complexity of the case since Durov holds both Russian and French citizenship. If his exit from France is confirmed, it would be another significant moment in the pattern of Russian programmers being released by authorities in different countries.

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