France has lifted the travel restrictions imposed on Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who has been under investigation linked to illegal content on his messaging platform, according to judicial sources familiar with the case.
The 41-year-old Russian entrepreneur was arrested in Paris in 2024 and remains the subject of a formal inquiry by French authorities over alleged criminal activities associated with the platform.
In July, judicial controls on Durov were partially eased, allowing him to spend up to 2 weeks in the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is headquartered.
Under the latest decision, the travel ban has been fully lifted, meaning Durov is no longer required to report to police in Nice, southern France. Over the past year, he has reportedly complied fully with all judicial supervision measures, according to an anonymous judicial source.
Durov faces allegations of complicity in running an online platform that facilitated illegal transactions involving children and other prohibited content. During an initial interrogation in December 2024, he acknowledged the presence of increasing criminal activity on the platform and pledged to strengthen content monitoring.
However, Durov accused French authorities of failing to follow proper legal procedures during inquiries into content supervision.
He denied the charges and criticized his detention, claiming it "significantly harms France’s image as a free country."
Follow the latest news on Google News
