Earlier, French media reported the arrest of Pavel Durov, the creator of Telegram. Now, the reason for his detention and the charges against him have become known.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur was detained at a French airport where he arrived from Azerbaijan. He will remain in custody until the court hearing. Then he will be formally charged.
Durov is accused of complicity in illegal activities carried out through Telegram. He refused to moderate content on Telegram and cooperate with law enforcement, making him an accomplice in numerous crimes. Due to illegal actions on Telegram, which were not stopped by Durov, the creator of the messenger may soon be charged with terrorism, fraud, money laundering, illegal trafficking of prohibited substances, and more.
If Durov is brought to trial as a citizen of France (Pavel has French citizenship), he could face up to 20 years in prison. The media claims that Pavel Durov knew he was persona non grata in France and avoided countries that might have claims against Telegram.