Prosecutor: CEO of Telegram arrested on 12 charges

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Monday that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov had been arrested on 12 charges as part of a judicial investigation.

The arrest “comes as part of a judicial investigation opened on July 8, 2024, following a preliminary investigation opened by the J3-JUNALCO (fight against cybercrime) department of the Paris public prosecutor’s office,” Beccuau said in a statement.

Investigations are being carried out, among other things, for illegal business in an organized group, possession of pornographic images of minors, offering or making available pornographic images of minors, etc.

It also concerns the “refusal to pass on, at the request of the competent authorities, information or documents that are necessary for the implementation and execution of legally permissible surveillance measures,” the statement said.

The Paris prosecutor also pointed out that, given the procedures applicable to crimes related to organised crime, Durov’s pre-trial detention could last up to 96 hours until 24 August.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said on the social media platform X that Durov’s arrest was “in no way a political decision.”