Telegram Founder Blasts French Authorities as Case Against Him Stalls
Pavel Durov says probe has no evidence and warns of damage to France’s image
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has slammed French authorities over the ongoing criminal investigation against him, declaring that the case has failed to uncover any wrongdoing even after a year of scrutiny.
Durov, who was arrested in August 2024 in what he called an “unprecedented” move, criticized the idea of holding tech executives responsible for the independent actions of platform users. In a Telegram post, he said the investigation continues to “struggle” to present evidence, despite Telegram following industry-standard moderation practices and responding to all legally binding requests from French authorities.
“One year later, the ‘criminal investigation’ against me is still struggling to find anything that I or Telegram did wrong,” he wrote, adding that he is still required to return to France every two weeks with no trial date in sight. He warned that the case has caused “irreparable damage” to France’s global reputation as a free country.
Durov’s arrest triggered widespread condemnation from the crypto community, human rights organizations, and free speech advocates, many accusing the French government of trying to pressure him into tightening censorship on the platform. French President Emmanuel Macron denied any political motivation behind the arrest, but his defense only fueled further criticism.
Industry leaders also mocked the case, with Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz questioning why Macron himself wasn’t held responsible for all crime in France.
Durov has reaffirmed Telegram’s stance on privacy, saying the company will leave any jurisdiction that demands censorship or backdoors into its encryption. He emphasized that Telegram will never hand over encryption keys or compromise user security.
The high-profile standoff continues to spotlight tensions between governments pushing for tighter controls and platforms committed to digital freedom.
