Telegram Founder Slams France Over ‘Absurd’ Yearlong Case

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has sharply criticized French authorities over his detention last year, calling the ongoing case against him “legally and logically absurd” and damaging to France’s global image as a free country.

Durov, who was detained for four days in August 2024, said he was arrested after unidentified individuals allegedly used Telegram to coordinate criminal activity. Writing on his Telegram channel Sunday, he argued that holding a tech CEO responsible for the actions of platform users was “unprecedented.”

“Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was absurd,” Durov said. “The only outcome of my arrest has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country.”

He accused French investigators of sidestepping both national and EU procedures for submitting requests to Telegram. “They could have learned the correct procedure simply by googling it or asking,” he wrote.

Despite no evidence of wrongdoing being presented against him or the company, Durov said he is still required to report to France every 14 days, with no appeal hearing scheduled more than a year after his arrest.

French prosecutors opened a case in 2024, alleging Telegram was used to facilitate illegal activities. Durov was detained at Paris’ Le Bourget Airport on suspicion of “complicity in running a platform enabling criminal transactions.”

Telegram, with more than 900 million users worldwide, has long faced scrutiny from governments over its encryption and use by activists, criminals, and political dissidents alike. Durov insists the platform complies with binding legal requests and follows industry-standard moderation practices.