French authorities have granted Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of Telegram, temporary permission to leave the country as part of a criminal investigation into illicit activities on the messaging platform, AFP reported on Saturday.
Durov was arrested at an airport near Paris in August 2024 and subsequently placed under formal investigation.
He faced a ban on leaving France due to allegations of complicity in running an online platform that facilitates illegal activities, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
French prosecutors have stated that while Durov’s formal investigation does not imply guilt, they believe there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the probe. As part of the legal process, he was required to post a bail amounting to $5.4 million.
An investigating judge recently permitted Durov to travel outside France for several weeks. Sources cited by AFP indicate that he departed for Dubai on Saturday morning. The Paris prosecutor’s office has yet to respond to media enquiries regarding the development.
The case has further strained relations between France and Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. It has also sparked debates over the limits of free speech and law enforcement’s role in regulating online platforms.
Despite the investigation, Telegram remains one of the world’s most popular messaging applications, widely used for encrypted communication, news dissemination, and social networking.
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