Telegram CEO claims he still cannot travel freely nearly a year after being arrested.

Gate News bot message, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov stated that he still cannot travel freely nearly a year after being arrested at Paris airport.

Durov released a video on YouTube on Tuesday in which he accepted an interview with Tucker Carlson. In the video, he stated that since his arrest in August 2024, the French authorities have kept him in solitary confinement for four days, during which he was unable to meet with a lawyer or communicate with the police.

He said, “They looked at the list of charges; I have nothing to do with these crimes, such as organized crime and drug trafficking, but then I realized that the situation was serious because they wouldn’t let me out.”

Durov stated that these allegations are related to some users’ suspected criminal activities on Telegram. Telegram is an instant messaging app he founded, which currently has around 1 billion users.

French prosecutors charged Durov at the end of August with six counts, including “conspiracy” to distribute child sexual abuse materials and drug trafficking. The prosecution stated that he has tolerated rampant illegal activities on Telegram while refusing to cooperate with authorities.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 euros.

Telegram called the case “absurd” and insisted that Durov bears no responsibility for user behavior on the platform in compliance with EU laws.

Durov is still under judicial control, and this legal status restricts his travel, “I cannot leave this country because the investigation is still ongoing.”

Source: Business Insider