Telegram Founder Durov Allowed to Travel to Dubai Amid Legal Battle
Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app Telegram, has been granted permission by a French court to travel to Dubai temporarily. According to reports, Durov departed France this morning, following the court's decision to modify the conditions of his bail. The investigating judge approved Durov's request to leave France for several weeks, although the exact terms of the court's decision remain unclear.
Durov's legal troubles began last year when he was arrested by French authorities at Le Bourget airport in Paris. He was charged with complicity in child exploitation, drug trafficking, and other organized criminal activities. The French authorities alleged that Telegram's lack of content moderation facilitated these illicit activities, including the distribution of child pornography and drug trafficking. Durov could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of €500,000 if found guilty.
Durov's arrest was met with criticism from the Telegram community, who saw it as an attack on freedom of expression and the right to private life. Whistleblower Edward Snowden and tech billionaire Elon Musk also condemned the arrest, viewing it as an assault on free speech. Durov was released from police custody on Aug. 28 after posting a €5 million bail, but he was required to remain in France as part of his judicial supervision.
Durov's departure to Dubai, a city known for its lack of extradition agreements with several countries, has raised concerns about jurisdiction and privacy. Durov holds citizenship in France, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. In a Telegram post a few weeks after his release, Durov expressed his concerns about the personal responsibility of innovators for the potential abuse of their tools.
Durov's travel to Dubai is yet to be officially confirmed by Telegram or Durov himself. However, if confirmed, Durov would be the second Russian programmer to be released in recent months. Alexander Vinnik, the operator of the now-defunct crypto exchange BTC-e, was released by the U.S. and sent to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange program aimed at improving political and diplomatic ties between the two countries. It is worth noting that Telegram was banned in Russia in 2018 after the app refused to hand over encryption keys required to read users’ communications.
The news of Durov's travel to Dubai has been welcomed by the crypto market, with the price of The Open Network (TON) rising significantly. The TON Foundation, which supports the decentralized TON community, called it a "significant moment of resolution" and praised Durov's dedication to defending the right to free speech and privacy online. The foundation has stood in solidarity with Durov, supporting his efforts to protect these fundamental rights.